Thanatos Uprising
by unseenmemory
Summary: Set in a medieval world where the Greek gods still rule supreme, a young man was tasked to do an impossible task. To bring down the new gods. Fueled by his hatred and thirst for vengeance, this newly-turned demi-god sets out to the lands of the new Gods. How will he ever beat the Olympians, when the price of his immortality is his own memories?
1. Opening Words

Hey there everyone! UnseenMemory here with another fanfic. It's been a while since I made a new one. I think it's already 2 months ever since I finished my School Days fanfic? Anyway, this time around, I tried doing my first crossover. Before I let you read my fanfic, I better give you guys some insight about it so that you guys wouldn't be confused while reading it.

First off, this fanfic came from a random thought of mine. I was reading Battle Royale when it suddenly popped into my mind. What if I made a fanfic about a yandere battle royale? At first, I tried doing some rough drafts about the plot, but another battle royale? Isn't that a bit overused nowadays? So, I ended up having this mixture of medieval and greek type of setting, which was heavily inspired on the setting of Berserk. It's like Berserk, but with Greek gods. The plot is revolving around those gods and some fated mortals. For the beasts and monsters, I was heavily inspired by the bestiary in Dragon's Dogma (since I've been playing that recently). For me, I really liked its bestiary and how it forces you to create tactics to take down specific ones.

Alright, characters. For the main character, I'll be using my ever first OC, Toshiro. I strongly feel that his personality really fits this dark setting. He'll be reprising his role as Thanatos, or some sorts. Also, I'll be using my other OC, Yamato from my School Days fanfic. He's like Toshiro's opposite. Toshiro is somewhat a brooding pessimist while Yamato is like a happy-go-lucky optimist. For the trademark characters, I'll be using Yuno Gasai and Kotonoha Katsura. For the new trademark characters that I'll be using, we have Mikasa Ackerman from Shingeki no Kyojin, Kurumi Tokisaki from Date a Live, and lastly, Anna Nishikinomiya from Shimoneta. Well, since my original concept was a yandere battle royale, I might as well use some yandere characters that I like for this fanfic. As always, I don't own this trademark characters. All rights reserved to their respective owners.

Well, that's it. Happy reading! Also, as usual, opinions, thoughts and reviews are highly appreciated!


	2. Prologue - Thoughts of a Walking Deadman

I am a cursed man.

Everything I touch withers away. Though not immediately, everything I touch, that yearn for, that I cherish, withers into the void.

A void; an empty and endless pit of despair which consumed me.

Has it been 2 years already? I've lost track of time. Ever since that day, when they took her away from me, I've become numb and cold. Bandits, raiders, monsters nor demons, those beings don't mean anything to me anymore. One by one, contract after contract, order after order, I killed countless men and demons. I am bounded to this fate, to bring death to those who are mortal or can be killed. The power I received in exchange for my future was the only company I had. The voice inside my head was the only guide I had as I walk in the wilderness without any direction. Thinking back, was accepting the dire quest of the village's chief worth it? After all that I've been through, that I sacrificed, is it all worth it?

 _Everything I did back then was in vain._


	3. Chapter 1 - The Avatar of Death

I was 16 when a terrible omen struck our village. My village was small, but lively. We were just living our normal lives when a messenger cloaked in black appeared in the town plaza. As the village chief gathered all of us there, I quickly noticed the gold insignia in his cloak. "Mortals! I am the messenger of Thanatos, the god of death! He has tasked this village to sacrifice their strongest fighter to become his champion! In return, he will provide your village with his unholy protection!" The messenger said.

Our village revered pagan gods, the first known gods in our existence. Since we were exiled from the lands of Olympus, we were brought up to hate the major gods. We despised Zeus for his greed and lust. We despised Posidon for his pride. We despised Hades for his envy. In return, we revered these forgotten and ancient gods, such as Thanatos, the god and harbinger of death. If I could recall correctly, during the war of the Gods, the new Gods defeated the old Gods. Most of them were killed, and the survivors were exiled to these lands. Thanatos was one of those old gods that was defeated and exiled to this place. Hades took his position and ruled the underworld, while taking a part of Thanatos' original powers. As of now, Thanatos is severely weakened and anytime, can be killed by a champion from Olympus.

Champions are mortals that were chosen by the gods. Old or new, all of them has one champion. Those mortal that were chosen will represent their respective god, and in case of another Trial of the Gods would happen, those champions will fight to the death. The winner will be given the powers of a demi-god and will allow residence in the court of the gods. The recent champion was Hercules, who slaughtered all of his fellow champions during their battle. For me, I don't see him as a fitting winner, since all of his opponents were mortals while he was the son of Zeus, thus a demi-god. It was a one-sided battle. Even if the remaining champions ganged up on him, even if they managed to strike him down, he always comes back. How fearsome is the power of a demi-god.

Our village chief quickly gave the quest to the village's lone ranger, which was the strongest person in our village. He was well known for his feats such as hunting down a savage lion that was killing our livestock, and killing off a cyclops. He was a bachelor and had a rude personality. Though he was skillful and powerful, no one wanted to be associated with him. He was a drunkard and abused skills against his fellow villagers. Seeking power, he accepted the quest. Months passed, and the messenger appeared once more. This time, he wasn't empty handed. In his hands, was the head of that ranger.

The village fell in despair. Failing to provide a champion for our god, our village was ridiculed by illness, monsters and demons. Day by day, things grew worse. We asked for some minor protection from the messenger, but he could only reply "The lord is severely weakened. He cannot provide any protection unless someone takes up the mantle. If that person is worthy enough, the village can be saved." What was he talking about? I thought Thanatos didn't have any power to protect the village? How can he give his champion to power to save this village if he doesn't have the power in the first place? In a dire attempt to save the village and sate my strong sense of justice, I took up the quest. Somebody had to do it. If I could prove myself worthy to our god, I could save the village and protect my fellow villagers from this ill omen.

My adopted sister and my family were strongly against it.

"You're throwing your life away?! Stop this nonsense! You're a mere child!" Father shouted as he slammed his hands against the table. I could see the frantic yet furious expression in his face. This wasn't the first time to see my father like this, but he never raised his voice to his own family. Father was a strong man with a strong sense of justice. I guess his sense of justice was passed down to me. He came from the capital, which was still part of the exiled lands. He was one of the knights of the royal family. As he passed by our village, he saw a brunette tending the fields. That brunette was my mother, who was a simple villager. It was love at first sight. "Talk some sense to him, dear! Mikasa! Knock some sense to him!" Mother exclaimed as she pinches my cheeks.

Mikasa is my adopted sister. 6 years ago, her parents were killed by bandits. I was with Father at that time. We were in the nearby forest, looking for herbs and spices. As we looked around, we stumbled on a destroyed wagon. Father inspected the two bodies as he instructed me to stay close with him. At that time, the sight of dead bodies didn't faze me. Our village was assaulted and raided from time to time. I've seen my fellow villagers die. I had to mature very quickly and trained under father's guidance so that I could protect my family and the village if the time comes. We heard nearby screams for help. Equipped with a short sword, I ran towards the screams, to my father's dismay. Eventually, I bumped into her. Her clothes were tainted in blood, but I don't see any wounds. Her parents probably sacrificed their lives to protect her. Behind her, were 3 armed bandits, with their weapons drawn out. Thanks to my intensive training that I received from my father, who was a former prodigy in the capital, I managed to protect her. Though I killed those 3 men, I didn't felt any remorse for them. They deserved it, and I'm merely protecting her. After giving her parents a proper burial, we then took her into our household.

Mikasa, at first, was a very shy girl. We're at the same age and back then, at the same height. She had this long, black silky hair that others would envy. From her looks, she looks oriental, a race from the far-east. She didn't have any nearby relatives since her parents were wandering merchants. After saving her, she became strongly attached to me. We shared the same room since our house is not that big. We only had two bedrooms, one for my parents and one for me. I could remember that she would cry every single night back then. Feeling responsible of taking care of her, I comforted her every time she needed me. I would sleep beside her and sing her a lullaby till she falls asleep. Slowly, she accepted her parents' fate and started to open her heart to us. Soon, we were inseparable. We had a tight bond between us. There was no day that we were not together.

"Where he goes, I go. I'll go with him." Mikasa stated as she sides with me. My parents were left stunned. The argument ended in a stalemate. Father and Mother retired to their quarters while me and Mikasa went back to ours. Our room is quite small for the two of us. I usually sleep in the floor, but at times, we both sleep in the bed. I sat down on the edge of the bed while Mikasa sat beside me with her diary in her hand. She usually writes down something in that small notebook of hers. It was an important memento for her, since it was her parents' last gift to her. "Do you think they'll say yes?" I asked as she began scribbling down on of the pages. "Perhaps? You're too hard-headed and stubborn. Even if they'll say no, you'll probably sneak out." She replied. Earlier, she said that she would come with me. Somehow, I feel reluctant to go since I can't bring her along. She knows the rules. A god could only have one champion. Perhaps I could have her as a companion after I become champion. I do remember there are some champions back then that had their own posse and armies.

"Do you … really want to go with me?" I asked her as she closes her diary. Mikasa was pretty good in using a sword and shield. By far, she already surpassed me in that area since I favoured two-handed swords. If she does become my partner, we'll fight alongside each other. As usual, we will protect one another. "Do you even need to ask? My place is beside you. Where ever you go, I go. If you chose to journey through the deepest pits of Tartarus, I'll follow you." She stated as she pushed me down onto the bed. "Mikasa …." I muttered as she brought her face closer to mine. "Toshiro …" She muttered as her black eyes were fixated in me. Without hesitation, we locked our lips and our emotions fueled our bodies through the night.

 _Ah. That's right. My name … was Toshiro …_

Though she was my adopted sister, I saw her as a girl, as a woman. Soon, our bond slowly changed our relationship and we began harboring romantic feelings for one another. For her, I was the center of her world, her savior, and the only person for her. For me, she was an irreplaceable person in my life, a person I deeply cherish. In the end, we chose to be honest with our feelings for one another. Behind my parents' backs, we became lovers.

* * *

The very morning after, I was awoken by a familiar scream. A familiar scream that I've last heard when I saved her from bandits back then. I hurriedly went out and followed her cries. I found her inside my parents' room. Mikasa was screaming and crying her eyes out. "Mikasa! What happened?!" I shouted as I quickly rushed to her side. She was in a loss of words. She could only point her shaking finger towards the bed. There, I saw my parents' skin turn into this stone-like appearance. I fell on my knees. The unnamed disease that has been ridiculing and killing the townsfolk, is now killing my parents.

The unnamed disease will turn your skin into this stone-like appearance. At first, it will eat away your bodily fluids and you will be unable to move at all. Soon, it will develop and will destroy your insides. In the end, it will eat away your life essence, leaving the body in that husk-like state. This disease is incurable. We did everything we could, but the herbs that we have could only slow down the process. Whose spell is this? Who did we anger that much that he's plaguing our village? At that moment, I know what I must do. I had to sacrifice myself to our god. I have to, to save our family.

Armed with my Father's equipment and some supplies from the village chief, the black messenger took us to the realm of Thanatos. The whole realm was filled with the essence of death. Withered trees were everywhere. They were neither lifeforms nor demons. It was only death, and his lone castle. In my eyes, the whole realm was in monochrome. The only thing that had color in this realm was Mikasa's red muffler, the very muffler I gave her when we celebrated her first birthday with us.

We then set foot inside the death god's castle. I find it very odd that even here, there's no lifeforms. There were no guards, or servants. It was only the three of us as walked through the dark and eerie hallways. We were led to the throne room, which was filled with these skull-like ornaments. "My lord, I brought these two sacrifices from the village." The messenger said as we kneeled before the presence of our god. Thanatos was sitting on his throne, which were the bones of a dragon. His facial features somewhat resembles a noble man that was casted into the abyss, a man that was left forgotten. His red eyes were fixated at us, observing us closely.

He had this displeased look on his face as he stood up. "Rise. Boy, why are you here?" He asked as I felt a sudden chill in my spine as I heard his cold voice. "I chose to sacrifice myself for the sake of my village, my lord! Please! Make me your champion!" I replied as I tried my best to keep my composure. "Hm. I see. A valiant one, a type I haven't seen in ages. Your lover, what of her?" He asked as he shifted his gaze onto Mikasa. "I simply wish to serve as his companion, my lord!" She replied. For a moment, Thanatos seized from any movements. It was like he saw something in Mikasa that shook him for a second. "Tsh. Alright. Let's see what you could give me." He said as he approached the two of us. His black armor with gold trimmings caught my attention. Like the throne room, it had skull-like designs. The pauldrons and knee-braces somewhat resembles a skull. His neck cover, though slightly covered by his red scarf, looks somewhat like a dragon's lower jaw. In that very moment that I was distracted, he vanished into thin air.

"Toshiro!" Mikasa shouted in anguish as I felt something sharp pierce my chest. It felt like my very life was forced out of my body. I fell on my knees as the messenger held Mikasa back. "At ease. I will only examine his soul. If he's fitting, I'll return it. If not, he'll end up the same with your previous sacrifice." Thanatos coldly said as I noticed a black flame floating on top of his right palm. Is that, my soul? Why is it black? "Ah. I see … You clearly show potential, young mortal. Unlike the previous one, this boy could be the one that could serve as my champion." He said as he threw the black flame towards me. My senses went back, and I sluggishly stood up. "Toshiro! Are you okay?!" Mikasa worryingly asked me as she rushed towards my side.

"You have potential, boy. A potential I haven't seen for ages. Are you willing to be my champion?" Thanatos asked as he placed his hand on my shoulder. Though I was wobbly, my strong sense of justice fuelled my determination. "Yes, my lord! I would be honoured to fight for you!" I quickly replied. " Then I will fight bes-" "If that's the case, send her back. She doesn't belong here." Thanatos coldly said as he glared at Mikasa. "My lord, is there something wrong? I swear, we have the same potential! With her by my side, we'll restore your name to its former glory!" I asked as a weary and depressed expression showed on Mikasa's face. "Since I chose you, I can't let another mortal to be in my realm during the ritual. She will die if she stays here. For now, send her back to your village." He replied as he went back and sat on his throne.

"Toshiro … I don't want to go …" Mikasa mumbled as I approached her. Though I was against it, I have to listen to the words of my lord. "I'm sorry, Mikasa. We'll be separated for a while. I have to do this. I have to save father and mother, and the whole village. While I'm gone, please, take care of them. Trust me. I'll be back soon." I stated as I caressed her face. "Give him 3 to 4 months, girl. At that time, he'll be capable to defeat any monster or demon." Thanatos stated as the messenger approached us. "It is time." He said as a portal spawned behind him. "You better come home quickly, Toshiro …" Mikasa said as she firmly held onto my hand. "I promise. Stay safe in the meantime, alright? Use the precautions that the chief told us so that you wouldn't catch the disease." I said as I give her a reassuring smile. After a goodbye kiss, the messenger entered the portal with Mikasa. "3 months, huh …" I muttered to myself as I can't help but to think how long it could be.

"Now that she's gone, I'll be honest with you, boy. But first, what's your name?" Thanatos asked as he nudged me to come closer. "Toshiro, my lord." I replied as I followed his order. "I see. Splendid name. The woman that you brought along, her soul, is different," He remarked as he rest his chin on top of his right gauntlet. "Her soul shows the color white. A color that can only be associated with the Olympians. Her potential is limitless, but alas, I cannot have her as my champion. Rest assured that you have the same potential as hers." Thanatos said as he curiously looked at me. Olympians? So the old gods cannot have Mikasa as their champion? "But I could have her as my companion, right, my lord?" I asked him. "Yes, but it's risky. Most likely, the Olympians could track her down with their power. Within 3 months, her life will be in grave danger. Knowing her limitless potential, they will not stop at nothing to have her for their own," He replied as he stood up. "Follow me. Time is short for the both of us. We can't dally any further." He said as he started walking towards a secret exit behind the throne room.

I followed him closely, and he led me into this eerie chamber. There, his weapons were racked in their respective casings. "Pick one. That will be your weapon in your servitude under me." Thanatos said as he let me inspect his prized weapons. His weapons were vast, but most of them look old and corroded with rust. His famous scythe caught my attention. "Ah. My scythe. It my very first weapon, a weapon that was made from the souls of the damned that I harvested back then. Now, with most of my powers gone, it's useless. It's dull and can no longer reap souls." He commented. Ah. The scythe is a no go. As I stepped back, my clumsiness caught Thanatos' attention as I managed to knock a large sword over. He swiftly caught it. "Hm. How about this sword? You favor two-handed swords, yes?" He asked as I inspected the oversized sword. The sword looked pretty heavy and was nearly the same height of my lord. Though I was around 5 feet and 10 inches tall, I really look like a kid when I'm placed beside Thanatos, whose physical form stood 6 feet and 7 inches tall. The sword was roughly 6 feet and 2 inches long. I tried to hold it, but I quickly noticed the massive weight of the said sword. "I don't think I could wield this, my lord." I commented. "In due time, you could." He said as he hands me the oversized sword.

* * *

Time quickly passed since that moment.

Hours would pass by as I trained under Thanatos' guidance. In his realm, I've lost track of time. I don't even know how many hours would have passed since I was too focused in training myself. Slowly, my physique changed. In roughly 2 months, my appearance drastically changed. My hair grew longer. I received scars from the training, but they were not that deep. Notably, I received one on the bridge of my nose, and one on my left jaw. Also, I grew in height. From 5 feet and 10 inches tall, I grew into this 6 feet and 3 inches tall body. Mikasa would probably look shorter now. I believe she was only 5 feet and 8 inches tall. My body became more muscular due to the intensive training that I received from the god of death. Somewhat, I really believe that my lord has something to do with my sudden change in appearance. Soon, it was almost time for the last part of this training. Now, I have to undergo through my lord's ritual.

"It's time, Toshiro," Thanatos said as stood inside the throne room. "Today marks the 90th day of your stay here. 3 months have passed, and now, you are now most fitting to be my champion." He said as I noticed he wasn't wearing his usual black armor. "It all happened thanks to you, my lord." I stated as I kneeled before him. "Right now, you are powerful enough to strike down any monster or demon. It is time for ritual," He said as the messenger approached me with my lord's armor in his hands. "Wear it. You'll need it." He ordered, which I obediently did. Surprisingly, his armor was quite lighter than it seems, or is it that my body is accustomed to heavier objects? "How will the ritual play out, my lord?" I asked him. "It's fairly simple. With my remaining power, I will imbue your soul with my own. In short, you will be my avatar, the harbinger of death." He replied. Wait. Is he telling me, that I'll become him? I'll become a god? That's impossible. No mortal could transcend into a god. "But, my lo-" "This is an old ritual back when the old gods ruled the land. I will turn you into a demi-god, in exchange of my existence. You will carry out my emotions, my fury for the Olympians, and my goal." He said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "What … is your goal, my lord?" I asked.

 _To bring down Olympus. To avenge my fallen brethren and to reclaim what's rightfully ours._

* * *

Cold. I feel cold. My head is in a mess. What the hell happened? Oh. Right. My lord fused his existence with me. Right now, I'm the harbinger of death. Right now, I'm Thanatos. I found myself in an empty field inside the realm of the death god. What happened to the castle? Did it suddenly vanished into thin air after the ritual? The messenger was nowhere to be found. I sluggishly stood up and wiped away the dust in his armor. Wait. Right, this is my armor now. I picked up my oversized sword and sheathed it behind my back. I noticed a portal behind me. Ah. I'm going back home. Home. My family is waiting for me. I have to end that curse in our village. My lord told me that I have to strike down the one who casted that omen in our village, but first, I have to find that caster first. I slowly walked towards the portal. I have to go back. Mikasa's waiting for me too. I bet she misses me so much. I feel the same way too. I can't wait to wrap my arms around her …

For a second, I was blinded by light as I stepped inside the portal. As my vision slowly cleared up, I suddenly fell to my knees. A desolated village welcomed me back. The town plaza where I appeared, the very same town plaza that was bustling with vendors back before the sudden ill omen struck us, was utterly destroyed, like a meteor crashed down on top of it. What the hell happened here?

 _Toshiro. Keep calm. Listen to me._

Huh? I heard someone speaking inside my head. It was the voice of my lord. "M-my lord … what the hell … has happened …? What happened to my home …?!" I frantically muttered as my despair clouded my mind.

 _Tsh. I should have done the ritual earlier than we planned. The Olympians! They finally made their move!_

The Olympians?! Suddenly, I remembered our conversation 3 months ago, when he was still deciding if I was worthy to be his champion. "Mikasa …." I muttered as I quickly stood up and ran towards the direction of my home. No, no, no … anything but that! Please! Don't take her away from me! Home, my home, or where my home is used to be, is filled with rubble and debris. The husk-like bodies underneath some wooden planks caught my attention. "Father … mother …" I muttered as my tears slowly came out. I shakenly walked towards their bodies. I'm too late. Everything is gone. Near their corpses, was a dirty violet notebook. A notebook that I was very familiar with. It was hers, it was her precious memento of her dead parents. She's gone. Mikasa's gone …

 _Hades. It was Hades all along._

"Hades …?" I muttered.

 _This method, this desolated plan filled with scent of death. This is his work. He did the same when he killed my family._

"W-We have … to find her … I have to. I can't let h …"

 _Toshiro! Listen! In your current state, even if you're a demi-god, you can't fight a god on your own! You'll be decimated! Your sacrifice, and my sacrifice, will be in vain if you charge into their realm!_

"Then what do I now …?! Tell me, Thanatos …!" I furiously shouted as I pounded my fist onto the debris.

 _We have to gather our power. This is the only choice we have to take. With our current power, we couldn't even last a minute against them. I know it's hard, but your revenge must wait!_

Reluctantly, I accepted that I couldn't do anything, that I have to become stronger. With her dirty notebook in my hands, I walked towards the unknown wilderness.

Mikasa …

* * *

This old and dirty notebook … why am I holding onto something like this again? Is it important to me? I … don't remember anymore. I've lost … so many things … I lost my family, my town, and my lover. I've lost so much that it left a hole in my head. My ... memories ... my immortality is flawed. Every time I die ... I lose some of my memories. Now … 2 years have passed, I couldn't even remember her name anymore. Pathetic, simply pathetic. I can't hear his words anymore … Thanatos' voice … is it gone? I don't know anymore. I've died countless of times already, but Tartarus kept throwing me back here. Why I am not allowed to die? Let me at least end this torment already …

My goal … what is my goal …

I could hear the roar of the waves as they crashed on the rocks beneath this cliff. Maybe, this time, I could end everything. Being the harbinger of death doesn't make you an immortal being. That's a lesson that I've learned in the hard way. Now, I don't remember the name of the girl that I deeply love. I don't remember the faces of my parents. I'm tired. I'm tired of this torment. My thirst for power, to become stronger, was in vain at the end. Heh.

Everything I did was in vain the end.

I took a step forward. Ah. I'm falling. Please. Let this be it. As I fell towards the jagged rocks below, I saw a pink-haired girl, crying by the shore, all alone. Huh? What is she crying about? I wond-

 **CRACK!**

* * *

 _My place is beside you. Where ever you go, I go.  
_ _If chose to journey through the deepest pits of Tartarus, I'll follow you.  
_ _Toshiro …_

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes. Huh? It's raining. I could feel the waves crashing onto my body. I probably got washed up here. Looks like I failed to die again, huh? What did I forget this time around? Strangely, I feel relieved. Like a huge burden was taken off my shoulders. Tsh. Beats me. I slowly sat up. Tsh. My armor's all wet now. Surprisingly, my helm didn't get a dent from the fall. As I walked around the shore, I noticed the familiar girl that was crying earlier. She was the one that I saw while I was falling, right? She was just sitting by the shore, staring blankly at the ocean. What is she doing here? She'll catch a cold.

"You there. Girl. What are you doing here?" I asked her as I stood beside her. She shifted her gaze towards me. Now that I have a good look on her, her clothes were stained with dried blood, and there was a hole on the chest portion of her clothes. She's like wearing a tattered green dress. A rape victim? Perhaps. Also, judging by her appearance, she's in the same age with me. Wait. Is age a factor when you're a demi-god? Hm. I don't know."Are you death, mister?" She asked. Hm? Did she sense my aura? "Who are you calling mister? We're in the same age. I think. Hm. Do you think I'm death?" I asked her. "I hope so … I don't want this to go on …." She said. "What happened?" I asked as I sat down beside her. "I can't remember … I was with my parents earlier, then I blacked out. The moment I opened my eyes, I saw them again, but this time around, they were lifeless corpses in front of me. I … I don't want to go on any further … I don't have a future …" She replied. As the harbinger of death, I could give anyone the sudden gift of death. Somewhat, I'm hesitating from killing this girl and granting her wish.

 _Take her in. If she doesn't have a future, then give her one._

Y-You? My lord?! Are you back?!

 _I never left, Toshiro. Your emotions and weariness clouded your mind. Tsh. You're really are handful._

A-Ah. My apologies, my lord. My emotions got the best of me.

 _Anyway, like I said before, we need companions if we were to defeat the Olympians. This girl, she has the potential to be a champion. Odd, her soul is a mixture of black and white. I can't say if she's fitting for the old gods or for the new gods._

So, what should I do, my lord? At her current state, she's probably unstable.

 _Just take her in. Don't waste this opportunity. Also, no more suicides. You're wasting your memories. Sooner or later, you'll eventually snap and go berserk. Remember that you have something to finish, alright?_ _We will destroy Olympus and the new gods._

"If you don't know what to do next, then, how about you travel with me?" I asked her as I slowly took off my horned helm. She fell silent as she saw my face. "What's wrong? I look too young to be the harbinger of death?" I asked her with a chuckle. "A little …" She replied as she tries to give out her own. Hm. If my lord wishes it, I might as well do it. For now, I'll see what kind of potential does this girl holds. "So, what do you think? Be my companion. I will give you a future, a purpose that you can fulfill." I asked her. For a moment, she fell silent. Of course, nobody would accept a sudden preposition like that, and that's coming from me, the avatar of death. To my surprise, she began crying once more. "If I say yes … you'll never leave me alone … right?" She asked as she tried her best to control her tears. "It's a promise. Until your time comes, I will be your side. Always." I replied. To my utter surprise, she tightly hugged me. "I take that as a yes." I commented as I gently petted her head, as she cried her eyes out. Somehow, this feeling is quite familiar to me. It's like I comforted someone like this before.

"From this day forth, we're companions now, alright? You'll accompany me throughout my quest and travels." I said as I took off my crimson scarf, and wrapped it around her. She nodded affirmatively as she wiped away her tears. Now that I've taken a good look on her, she's fairly average in height. Probably 5 feet 5 tall? Not to mention, an average build. I do wonder what kind of proficiency she'll take. "Anyway, I'm Toshiro. As of now, I'm the avatar of death created by the old god, Thanatos. What's yours?" I asked her. "Y-Yuno … It's Yuno." Yuno replied as her pink eyes were fixated at me. "Alright. Nice meeting you, Yuno." I said as I smiled at her.

For now, I have to gather my companions if I wish to bring down Olympus. That is, my only goal … right? Wait. I have another goal … but I could vaguely remember it. I was supposed to save someone, right?

Who was I supposed to save again?

* * *

 _The deed is done, brother. Here's the girl that you've asked._

 _Splendid. You did well, Hades. Have you found your champion?_

 _I don't need one. My hands are full with the underworld. I don't need a mortal to drag me down._

 _You should find one, brother. To give you a slight entertainment. To relieve your stress, perhaps?_

 _Ah, Posidon! We're finally in the same grounds!_

 _Oh? No. No. Brother Zeus, it's not like that. By the way, what do you intend to do with this oriental girl?_

 _Isn't it obvious? She'll be my champion. With Hercules at her side, I will defy fate._

 _I will stop the uprising of the old gods. I leave Thanatos to you, brother Hades._


	4. Chapter 2 - His First Companion

We made our way towards a nearby town. It was still raining when we left the shore. Slowly, the responsibility of taking care of this girl that I just met is sinking in. She's my companion now, huh? "You hungry?" I asked as she closely followed me. "A-A little, master …" Yuno replied as she held onto my crimson scarf, which was wrapped around her neck. "Master? You don't need to use those kinds of things when you're addressing me. As much as possible, treat me as an equal, as your fellow companion." I commented as we entered the town. The town is pretty quiet compared to the previous town I went to. I could only see a number of people inside the town. Odd, but maybe it's because of the rain? "But … yo-" "No buts, Yuno. Come on. Try it." I said as I stopped and looked at her with smile. "T-Toshiro …" She nervously muttered my name. "See? You could do it too! Come on. We have to get inside an inn before you get sick." I said as took her by the hand and dragged her towards a nearby inn.

The town's inn is pretty decent, if you ask me. The room rates are quite cheap. 5 silver coins per night, and that comes with 2 meals? That's pretty okay if you ask me. After setting in inside our rented room, I quickly went out and searched for a nearby clothing store. Luckily, I managed to find one. I then bought some clothes that Yuno could use, which were a white tunic, brown pants, and leather boots, though the boots were knee-high only. This will do for now. I can't let her walk around wearing those tattered clothes of hers. Also, we should drop by the town's forge or blacksmith to buy her equipment.

After Yuno changed into her new clothes, we then went down to the inn's fireplace. Odd. I don't see any travelers other than us. I made her sit down in front of the fireplace. "Warm yourself. I'll go get our food." I said as I turned around and approached the innkeeper. As the innkeeper ordered the inn's waitress to ready our meal, I then took the opportunity to ask for some information. "Is your business doing well? I don't see any travelers around that much." I asked him as I kept a close eye on Yuno, who was busy warming herself up by the fire. "Not at all, sir. The town is going under actually. Travelers are stirring away since there's a den of minotaurs by the forest." The innkeeper replied with a deep sigh. Hm. Those horned beasts are quite easy for me to handle. Well, maybe it's because I'm a demi-god after all. I might as help Yuno get some experience in fighting. "Minotaurs? That sounds good enough. I'll talk to the village chief tomorrow. I'll do something about it." I said as I smiled at him. "A-Are you sure, sir?! Thank you!" He happily said as he shook my hand.

After eating our dinner, we then retired to our rented room. Yuno was sitting idly in front of me as I polished my oversized sword with a whetstone. "We're going to stay here for a while, alright?" I said as the sound of a blade being sharpened echoed inside the wooden room. She gave me an affirmative nod as she watched me closely. After some minutes, I placed my sword aside and took off my black armor. I noticed a flustered look on Yuno's face as I took off my black chest plate. "I'm wearing something underneath, you know." I said with a chuckle as I set aside my armor and sat in front of her. "Uh. Try this. I got this when I took out a bandit camp a while ago." I said as I hand her a steel-forged dagger. "A dagger …?" Yuno mumbled as she took the dagger from my hands. "Yeah. It's pretty light, though you can't cut deep with that." I commented as she gave the dagger a try. I watched her do some swings as her swaying pink hair caught my attention.

"So, how is it?" I asked her as she stopped and placed the dagger aside. "It's pretty light. Uh … I don't have proper training though." Yuno replied. "Well, that's why I'm here. By the way, are you okay now? Do you remember anything that happened to you before I met you?" I asked her once again. For a while, she stared blankly at the wooden-planks flooring. She looked like she's trying her best to remember something, but to no avail. She shakes her head with a pained look on her face. Hm. She's sorta like me, a person who can't remember something important. She might remember in our travels, so there's no point in interrogating her like this. "I see. Alright. Get some rest." I said as I smiled at her and blew at the candle.

After a few minutes into my sleep, I sudden felt something tapping my shoulder. I slowly opened my eyes and turned around. Behind me, was Yuno. The room was dark, and I couldn't get a good look on her face. "Hm? What's wrong?" I asked her as I tried my best to shake off my drowsiness. Now my hearing slowly cleared up, I suddenly realized that she was crying. Ah. I could understand why she woke me up. "Come here." I said as I sat up and opened my arms. Without hesitating, she leaped into my arms. I could feel her tears seeping into my black shirt. I embraced her as her muffled cries echoed inside the room. "Shh … I'm here now … I told you, didn't I? I'll be by your side till the very end." I said as I tried my best to comfort her. After some while, she finally stopped crying. As she fell asleep in my arms, I can't help but to feel sleepy as my drowsiness slowly took over me. As I slowly closed my eyes, I can't help but to feel something.

Why does this feel like I've been here before? That I comforted someone like this?

* * *

I could feel my sweat trickling down as the bright afternoon sun shone above us. I wiped away my sweat as my companion, Yuno, was trying to catch her breath. "That was a good practice. You're improving," I said as I handed her a cloth towel. "Though, you're still rough in some edges. Don't panic whenever you're in the zone. One moment of hesitation could lead to your death." I said as she sat down in front of me. "I-I can't help it. You were being too rough! I thought you were training me, but it felt like you were going kill me!" Yuno annoyingly remarked as she wiped away her sweat. "Geez. Of course I have to. Also, I was just playing around earlier. Heh. Is my aura that scary?" I said with a chuckle as I sat down beside her.

It's been 2 weeks ever since we arrived here in Knowell Village. After sorting things out and accepting the village chief's quest, I began training Yuno. As expected, she's pretty efficient with light armor, double daggers, and a bow. Since she has a slight average frame, she's quicker in her feet than a usual person would. She's like a scout or a ranger. I could see why Thanatos asked me to take her in. She really has the potential. There are times I have to get serious and try to avoid her attacks. I taught her to fight all the time with intent to kill or disable your opponent. Not to mention, she's a very fast learner. It's like she's improving after every single practice session.

"We really need to get you a teacher. I'm not even sure if I'm properly teaching you." I said as I placed our practice blades into their scabbards. "I don't need one. You're teaching me the fundamentals and basics, so you're doing well! Also, we don't need to spend money on those things." Yuno annoyingly replied as she adjusts her short bow. Well, she has a point. Since we're spending money every day, I should start being thrifty. Though I could get some few copper coins by helping the townsfolk with their duties, it's not enough to compensate the amount of money we lose every day. I did some contracts and quests before I met her, so we still have some money that could last for a year, but that depends on how we spend our money.

After our training, we then head to the nearby stream to wash ourselves. "Ugh. I feel sticky." Yuno remarked as she took off her armor and placed it aside neatly. Come to think of it, ever since our first night together, she slowly opened herself to me. She became a nagging girl, but I don't mind it. I'm glad that I could see a genuine smile in her face every now and then. As Yuno sat down by the stream, I then took off my shirt and did the same. "It's a bit cold." She remarked as I sat down beside her. "Yeah. Warm yourself once we get back." I said as I washed my body. "Got it. Hm. Toshiro? Don't you get colds or anything? You're a demi-god after all." She curiously asked me. "Hm. As a demi-god, I'm immune to diseases that could harm mortals. That aside, I'm susceptible to curses or omens that came from gods." I replied. "Ah. It's pretty advantageous being a demi-god then." She remarked as she playfully splashed some water towards me.

"Well, yeah. Though I'm considered as a demi-god due to the ritual that my lord did, I don't have any superhuman strength or endurance. Well, probably since his power at that time was really dwindling, but other than my resistance to diseases, the power of immortality in some degree, and the power to wield that oversized sword and black armor of his, I'm still living like a human." I stated as I washed my face. "Oh. So even you're a demi-god, you're really different to Hercules." Yuno said with a giggle. "Of course. He was born as a demi-god, while I was turned into one. There's a vast difference with those two." I remarked with a sigh. That aside, since I've become an avatar for an old god, that makes me an enemy of Olympus, right? Also, I haven't received any new orders from my lord. Hm. It's oddly quiet, huh.

After drying ourselves, we then went back to the inn. We ate our meals and retired ourselves in our rented room. As I polished my black armor, Yuno was sitting down behind me. As usual, she was waiting for me to finish. "Are you done checking your equipment?" I asked her as I felt her head resting on my back. I felt a nod from her. Hm. She's really sleepy, huh? I quickly finished polishing my equipment and placed it aside. "You really need to start sleeping in your bed, you know. We're not paying for one bed for us, and one bed for our equipment." I complained as we lied down beside each other. I can't help but to let out a deep sigh as she rests her head against my chest. Tsh. She's not listening. "Goodnight, Toshiro …" Yuno muttered as she wrapped her arms around my back. Geez. She's really clingy. "Give me a break …" I said as I blew candle and closed my eyes.

* * *

As the morning sun shone above us, we went slowly went inside the Knowell Forest. Today is the day we get rid of this minotaur infestation. "Remember what I told you, alright? Stay at the back and hammer them with arrows. If one manages to slip past me, switch to your blades." I reminded her as we cautiously walked underneath the shade of the trees. "Y-Yeah. Got it." Yuno said as she held her bow at the ready. Though we already killed some wolves, I'm pretty sure Yuno's really nervous on this one. After a few minutes, we finally had our first encounter. A minotaur suddenly appeared beside us. Wielding its axe, it charged in towards us. I gave Yuno a gesture and charged in. I took out my oversized blade and clashed with the minotaur. I should let Yuno kill this one so that she could get used to this.

"Yuno! Head's up!" I said as I blocked the horned beast's attacks. With one swift motion, I managed to break its guard. With one clean upward slash, I managed to slash away one of its arms. I narrowly avoided Yuno's barrage of arrows as I quickly stepped back. Four arrows quickly pierced the beast, which made it roar in pain. "Shit. That'll probably alert the rest of them. Finish it! Quick!" I shouted. Without hesitating, Yuno quickly pulled out her blades and charged in. The beast desperately tried to defend itself, but with a wide miss, Yuno swiftly took the opportunity to slash its neck. Its lifelessly body tumbled down. "Not bad. Don't aim for my head, alright." I said as I took out the arrows from the beast's corpse. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to!" Yuno frantically apologized. "Pft. Don't worry about it. I just have to keep up with your tempo then. Anyway, we'll come back for its horns. Right now, we have company incoming." I remarked as the sound of the approaching hooves became louder.

One by one, the minotaurs fell in our hands. Surprisingly, though it's her first time actually fighting these kinds of monsters, Yuno's doing well. Her barrage of arrows is keeping them at bay while I easily slash them down. Finally, we reached their den. We swiftly took out the remaining minotaurs at the entrance. "Phew. That was a good workout. I think that's all." I said as I sat down on top of one of the corpses. "Y-Yeah. You really didn't let them get pass you, Toshiro. Your guard was impeccable." Yuno commented as she salvaged her arrows from the corpses. After letting a deep breath, I then approached the entrance. As I slowly approached the dark entrance with my oversized sword on my shoulder, the stench of the lair of the beasts entered my nose. Ugh. It reeks. As I stared at the darkness, I suddenly felt a presence inside. Though it was dark, I could see a figure of a woman at the darkness, waiting for me. "Huh?" I said to myself as I took a step towards the figure.

Before I could move even further, I suddenly felt the ground shaking. Hm? Something big is coming. This might be the alpha of the minotaurs. "Yuno! Get ready!" I shouted as I looked back at her. To my surprise, I saw an expression of fear in her eyes as pointed her shaking finger towards me. Shit. I dropped my guard. I slowly turned my head. Before I could get a glimpse of the beast, a sudden uppercut sent me flying. The impact itself made a mess in my senses. I felt my stomach burning in pain as I crashed at a nearby tree. "Toshiro!" Yuno shouted as she sprinted towards me. As I slowly regained my senses, I could see a 10 feet tall horned beast coming out from the den of the minotaurs. It let out a loud roar as it slammed its great-axe on the ground. Shit. That's a great minotaur! What the hell is it doing here?! I've heard stories that it took out a band of experienced adventurers! I might probably die if I fight it, but I have no choice! Yuno will not survive this! I have to get her out of here!

"Toshiro! Are you okay?!" Yuno worryingly asked me as she helped me stand up. Before I could even regain my balance, the great minotaur started to prepare its charge. "Yuno! Run! Now!" I said as I pushed her away from me and charged towards the large beast. To answer my attack, the beast started its charge towards us. I could feel the ground trembling as our blades clashed. Ugh! Fuck! It's strong! The impact made me reel backwards. I quickly jumped sideways as I narrowly evaded its attack. Suddenly, an arrow pierced its chest. It furiously looked at Yuno as she shakenly stood still. "Yuno! What are you doing!?" I frantically shouted as the great beast slowly approached her. Fuck! She's not responding! I quickly dashed towards the minotaur. With one loud roar, I slashed one its legs. It let out a roar of its own as it angrily smacked me with its back fist. Blood spewed out from my mouth as I tumbled backwards. Fuck. That felt like I broke a rib. "T-Toshiro! Look out!" Yuno frantically shouted as I noticed the looming shadow in front of me.

 **CLANG!**

I could feel my body shaking as I blocked the attacks of the great beast. I could see the look of rage in its eyes as it kept me under pressure. I can't keep this up forever. Sooner or later, my body or my sword will break. I have to get out of this! With one quick parry, I managed to get an opening. Suddenly, another punch landed on me. I endured the pain and swung my blade with all of my might. Its blood splattered across the ground as I managed to land a slash on one of its arms. In retaliation, it swung its great axe towards me. I don't have time to evade that! I have to block it! Though I managed to block it, the impact itself sent me flying towards some rocks. I could feel my adrenaline surging throughout my body, trying to dull my pain. I shakenly tried to stand up, but my body refuses. Fuck. I have to die. Whenever I die, my body enters this coma state. All of wounds slowly heal, but in return, as I regain my consciousness, I lose some of memories. I … I have to.

The great minotaur slowly approached me with its great axe in its hands. I could sense the looming death approaching me as its shadow covered me. Tsh. This will hurt, a lot. I could only close my eyes as I waited my death. What will I forget this time around? Will I forget my childhood, my parents, or my town? Will I forget my lord? Will I forget … Yuno and our time together? Beats me, I have to wait to find out …

 _Toshiiiiiii!_

Wait. That voice! I quickly opened my eyes. To my utter surprise, the great minotaur was getting pressured by a swift pink-haired girl. Her attacks were so swift that the minotaur couldn't retaliate. Her daggers, though were not cutting that deep, are staggering the horned beast. It was like this pink haired girl entered a trance where her limits were temporarily shut down. "Yuno!" I shouted as the minotaur stumbled backwards. She didn't respond to my calls, and continued her onslaught. Tch. I know she's fending off the great beast, but that won't be enough to end this fight! With one small opening, that beast could kill her! Tch. I have to stand up. I forced my body to stand up. I just need one opening, and I could end this fight.

As Yuno saw me standing up, it's like her trance ended. "Toshii!" Yuno cried out as she ran towards me with a look of relief on her face. Shit. She dropped her guard! As soon she turned her attention towards me, the minotaur quickly seized the opportunity and recklessly swung its great axe towards her. I won't make it! "Look out!" I shouted as I sprinted towards her. I could sense it. She's going to die. At that moment, everything was slowing down. It's like time itself slowed down for me. I could faintly feel someone behind me as my eyes were left wide open. It was like someone was embracing me from behind.

 _Time, has stopped. Let's see if you really are the prophesied one._

Shivers went down to my spine as an eerie voice whispered those words into my ear. Slowly, I could sense that the flow of time is slowly returning. Shaking off the pain and that eerie voice, I continued my sprint towards Yuno. As I noticed the flow of time rerturning to its normal state, I quickly pushed her aside. Time flows once more and I blocked the minotaur's swing with all of my might. "T-Toshii …?" Yuno muttered as my sudden appearance in front of her left her stunned. As the minotaur's arm reeled backwards, I quickly jumped towards it. With one great roar and mighty swing, I smashed through the minotaur's skull. The impact from my swing parted its head wide open. Finally, its body fell down, lifeless.

I could feel my body shaking as I tried to catch my breath. "Give me a break …" I muttered as I let out a deep and exhausted sigh. Suddenly, Yuno ran towards me and wrapped her arms around me. "O-Oi! Le-" "Toshii! I thought you'd die! I was so scared!" Yuno cried out as I noticed the tears in her eyes. "It's alright … I'll just lose some memories but I'll be back …" I said with some groans. "I don't want that! I don't want you to lose your memories!" She frantically cried out. "I … I don't want you to forget me! I don't want you … to forget our promise! I … don't want … to lose you! Please! Stay by my side! Don't leave me!" She cried out as I felt her body shaking. Geez. She's really worried about that, huh. Well, she has a point. Who'll take care of her when I forget her? I'll probably ignore her and leave her if I lose my memories about her. It's … it's for the best that I stay alive, huh? "No more suicide attacks for me then …" I mumbled as I wrapped one of my arms around her. Geez. This girl won't let me catch a break, huh? That aside, who was the voice earlier? It was her froze time, thus allowing to kill the great minotaur. Was she, a god? An old god perhaps? Tch. Sooner or later, she'll be back. I'll get my answers by then.


	5. Chapter 3 - The Avatar of Time and Fate

I watched the flames as I sat idly in front of the fire place. The dancing, red flames slowly warmed my body as my companion sat down beside me. She was resting her head against my left shoulder. "You tired?" I asked her. "Yeah … that was rough earlier." Yuno replied with a tired voice. It's been a few hours after the minotaur fight. I nearly died, but I ended up with some broken ribs and bruises all over me. Yuno, on the other hand, was left unscratched since I took most of the damage from the fight. Though I'm in a bad condition right now, my armor and sword was left undented or damaged. How I could forget that mortal things cannot damage godly equipment. One thing is certain; I have to become stronger. My equipment alone are not enough for me to finish this quest, and protect Yuno at the same time.

"That was, surprising though. Earlier, you were in trance right? You managed to fend off the minotaur while I was down." I remarked as I felt her soft hands caressing my arm. "I … It was sudden. The fear of losing you … it suddenly overshadowed me." Yuno said as she stared blankly at the fireplace. "But, it's not guaranteed that I'll lose any recent memories. In the past, I've always forget something about my past, my origins." I commented. As she heard my words, I felt her grip on arms suddenly became tense. "Don't say that," She annoyingly said. "Though you're partly immortal, that doesn't mean that you could easily throw away your life." She annoyingly stated as I noticed a lusterless look in her eyes. Ugh. Nagging as ever. "Alright, alright. I'll try not to. I do have a promise with you after all." I said as I petted her head with a grin on my face. Slowly, her eyes returned to normal.

After eating, I was caught in my thoughts. Who was the person who helped us earlier? She wasn't a mortal, right? She had the ability to stop time, which gave me the opportunity to kill that horned beast. She's probably an old god, since if she was a new god; she would've killed me earlier. "Hm? Toshii? What's wrong?" Yuno asked me as she poked my cheek. Hm? Toshii? Did she came up with the nickname? "N-Nothing. Wait. Toshii? Where did that came from?" I asked her. "U-Uh. I … came up with it. Do you … you don't like it?" She nervously asked. "Hm. It's okay, I guess. I don't find it annoying. I was just wondering where it came from." I replied with a smile. Hm. I'm stuck with this girl, huh? Since we have that promise, it's my responsibility to be her guardian, even if it's temporary.

"Do you have any relatives, Yuno?" I asked her as she adjusted the crimson scarf around her neck. It was still the same scarf that I gave her a 2 weeks ago. I see that she grew attached to it. She never took it off ever since. "Not that I'm aware of. My parents' didn't had any siblings, so I'm pretty sure I don't have any. Why?" Yuno replied with a curious tone. "Nothing much. It just crossed my mind." I replied as I kept my gaze at her. "Hm. How about you, Toshii?" She asked as she continued to poked my cheek. That's a tough question to answer. "Hm. Let's see. For a demi-god who keeps losing his memories whenever he dies, I'm not sure anymore. I could only vaguely remember some things, like growing up in a small village. That village of mine was destroyed two years ago. Since I'm here, I'm pretty sure my family was killed at that time. To be honest, I don't even remember the faces of my parents anymore." I said as I let out a deep and exhausted sigh.

Suddenly, my pink-haired companion embraced me. I could feel a slight tremble in her body. "W-What's wrong?" I frantically asked her. "I … didn't know. We both lost our families in the past. I … it's not fair that I'm the only one who gets to be comforted while you were also suffering the same pain." Yuno stated as I noticed her teary-eyes. I never thought she's that worried about me. "Geez. You don't need to worry about me. I'm pretty sure that I was in despair before, but due to my memory loss, the burden of despair grew lighter," I said as I petted her head with a chuckle. "Though I feel like I'm running away from my past, there are things that are more urgent than that. I could worry about those things later once I fulfill my role." I said as I gave her a reassuring smile. "Y-Yeah, but let me spoil you too, Toshii! That's the least I could do for you. I'll make sure I'll give you tons of memories that you wouldn't forget me!" She exclaimed as she nuzzled her head onto my chest.

Tsh. She's really a handful. I heard someone trying to get our attention. I turned my head around. Behind us, was the inn's waitress, who had our dinner ready. "Uh, sir, madam, your meals are ready. Er. Am I interrupting something?" She asked. "A-Ah not at all! Come on, Yuno. Dinner." I embarrassingly said as I gently pushed Yuno away and stood up. I could hear the innkeeper laughing at my embarrassed state.

* * *

After my condition got better, we then left Knowell Village. Before leaving, we stock up in our supplies and asked the town's chief for directions. He was generous enough to give us a map of the exiled lands, and a horse that we could use for our travels. Based on the map, the next settlement is the city of Teros. It'll probably take us 4 days to reach that place. I do wonder. How long will this quest will take? To reach the land of the new gods, we need to reach the capital and venture into the old forest. That forest is the same forest where the first clash happened between the old gods and new gods happened. We still have a long road ahead of us.

Three days has passed ever since we started our journey to Teros. The route was relatively safe at morning, but at night, they were some instances that we ran into wolves. Yuno quickly took care of it though. We took turns resting during the night. I would let Yuno rest first while I keep a lookout, then she'll do the same as I get some rest. Roughly, we're a few kilometers away from the city. At this pace, we'll probably reach the city tomorrow.

"Hm? What's wrong, Toshii?" Yuno, who was busy cooking our dinner, asked as she noticed that I was staring into the darkness. For the past days, ever since clearing that minotaur den back in Knowell, I felt this presence watching us. Like someone is observing us from afar. Knowing that I'm considered as an enemy by the new gods, I can't help but to feel tense whenever I feel that presence. I was never good in tracking people or animals down. Though my alertness is sharp, my skill in tracking is severely lacking. "N-Nothing. I was lost in my thoughts." I replied as I sat down in front of our campfire.

"Hey, Yuno. Can I ask something?" I asked as we ate our dinner. "Go ahead, Toshii." Yuno said as she chowed down at the cooked fish that she made. To be honest, she's a good cook. She's way better than me if you asked me."Hm. Don't you feel like someone's watching us? Li-"

 _Eeeeeeek!_

Before I could even finish my question, Yuno let out a loud shriek and hurriedly went towards me. "S-Stop scaring … me! I don't ... do well with g-ghosts!" She cried out as she buried her face against my back. "W-What? I'm not trying to scare you! Calm down! M-My shirt! You'll smear the fish on my shirt!" I cried out as I tried to hold her at bay. After calming down, she continued eating her dinner. "So, back to my question. Don't you feel anything? Like someone's watching from afar?" I asked her as I did the same. "Hm. Not that I'm aware of? But, there are times that I can't help but to feel weird or something," She replied. "One time, when you left me in the inn, I was stuck there polishing our blades. Out of the blue, I felt like there was a presence inside the room. I thought it was you, but when I looked up, no one was there. Also, it really felt like everything was going slow at that time. Like I was polishing the blades for like hours, but in reality, only five minutes have passed." She stated. Hm. Odd. She also experienced that feeling, huh? Tch. That being that helped us back then, is probably messing with us.

The night passed. Soon, we were back in the road. Before noon, we stumbled onto this hooded figure on the road. The person was wearing a greyish hooded robe. By its figure, I can tell that it's a woman. As we grew nearer to her, she blocked our way. "My, my. Travelers," She said with a playful smile in her face. Her hood is covering her face enough that I can't see her eyes. "Are you going to Teros?" She asked. "Yeah. We came from Knowell." I said as I slowly approached her. Before I could even take another step, Yuno quickly stopped me. "Yuno?" I asked her as I noticed a tense expression in her face. "I don't trust her, Toshii. I could feel something from her. Something dangerous." Yuno whispered. Hm. She has a point. She did suddenly block our way. "I see. Hm. May I tag along? I am a travelling fortune teller that also came from Knowell," She said with a smile. She came from Knowell too? That's weird. How the hell did she arrived here faster than us? "Please. I don't mean harm. I'm not a bait that would lead you two to bandits. I am just a mere travelling fortune-teller. So please, may I tag along? The nights have been dangerous lately. Sooner or later, the wolves will take me …" She said with a pout as she showed us her tattered robe. Well, maybe she is telling the truth.

"We can't simply let you tag along. My companion, is a known noble from the capital. I … I can't just let someone come with us. What if you're an assassin sent to kill him?" Yuno annoyingly said as she glared at the hooded woman. Seriously? That's what she came up with? "If you allow me, I'll give you two a reward." The woman said with a chuckle. "What kind of reward?" I asked her. Since we're travelers, we really need money throughout our quests. If the pay is right, we might as allow her to tag along. "Hm. My services are quite expensive to be honest, since I'm pretty skilled in fortune-telling. I could also answer your questions about things, such as romance." She said with a grin as she looked at Yuno, who suddenly blushed and looked away. "A-Are you serious? You're pretty accurate?" Yuno quickly asked as she tried to hide her flustered face from me. "Yes. To top that, I'll make it free." The hooded woman said with a smile. Tsh. I really thought she'd pay us in coins. Oh well. Hm. I really don't sense any hostility from her, so might as well do it. "Alright, tag along. Yuno. Let her ride the horse. I'm pretty sure she's tired from walking." I said.

* * *

After two days, we arrived in our destination. The walled city of Teros is a new sight for me. For the past 2 years, I only visited towns that needed a mercenary to fix their problems. The number of people who were busy buying and selling their goods at the plaza caught my attention. Hm. Somehow, it feels like I've seen something like this before. I could vaguely remember seeing something like in my old village. I was helping my mother sell something, but I can't remember. I was with someone else, a girl that I cannot remember.

For the past two days, I kept a close eye on our hooded companion. She never took off her hood. I didn't pry or anything about her appearance, since I really didn't felt any hostility from her. I'm not the kind of person who would meddle with private affairs. Though we had some conservation now and then, I still feel uneasy at times. Yuno has a point. What if she's an assassin sent by Olympus? Well, if she does try to something, we'll take her down.

"So, here's the city. What are you planning to do here?" I asked her as we left the stables. "Hm. I might tag along for a while since I don't have anything to do yet." Our hooded companion replied as she followed us closely. "Ms. Fortune-teller! When can I get my fortune read?" Yuno cheerfully asked her. "Well, later in the inn, my dear. You really want to know if you have a future with that fellow, hm?" She replied with a sly grin on her face as I noticed a quick glance from her. Hm? Is she pertaining to me? A future for me and Yuno? Hm. Well, I'm like a guardian to her and so far, I don't hold any romantic feelings for her. I know I mustn't since I'm merely her guardian. I don't have time for romance since I have this tremendous quest in front of me. Also, not to mention, I can't guarantee her safety throughout our journey. To be honest, somehow I'm already fond of her. I don't want a girl like her ending up as corpse alongside my path to take down Olympus. At most, I will protect her and ensure that she'll survive this journey.

"Anyway, Toshii! Can I have some coins? I'll buy some bread and cheese for us. It's for our dinner!" Yuno cheerfully asked as she approached me. Hm? Is she that lax about our hooded companion? Tsh. I guess I really have to keep an eye on her. "Alright, alright. Take care, alright? You know where the inn is, right? We'll wait for you there." I said as I gave her some bronze and silver coins. With Yuno's equipment and abilities, I'm pretty sure she can handle herself out there. Heck, back in Knowell, there was this time this guy who tried to touch her. The guy almost lost his arm when Yuno quickly took her blade. "Now, shall we? We need to rent two rooms after all." I said as we watched Yuno run off.

Unluckily, we arrived too late. The only available room was a two-bed room. Just like before. Since most of the inns we checked earlier were already full, we have no choice but to stay here and since we're in the city, the price range is vastly different. As we entered the room, I carefully observed our hooded companion. "My, my. What's with the stare?" She asked as she sat down in front of me. "Nothing. Anyway, it's hot. I'll take off my armor for now." I said as I unclasped the buckles and took off my heavy chest plate. "It has an odd design, your armor that is. It looks like a rib-cage of some sort." She commented as I noticed a playful tone from her. In response, I only remained silent and continued to sort my things.

"May I ask a question? You're not a noble at all, yes?" She asked as she stood up and approached the window. Hm? She noticed my cover? "What makes you think I'm not?" I asked her as I sat down on one of the beds. "If you're a noble, you should have a bigger entourage, not just a simple girl like her. A simple girl that you picked up a month ago," She replied with a giggle. Wait. What? She knows? "H-How did you know that?" I asked her as I carefully reached out for a nearby knife. She might pull something since we're both alone this moment. As she slowly turned around to face me, I noticed a playful smile on her face. This time, I saw her eyes. One of her eyes is red, while the other was yellow-ish gold with numbers on … it … wait. Numbers?

 _Time, has stopped._

Before I could draw out my knife, I felt my body sudden stopped. I was left stunned as my body refused to move. Though my body is frozen, I could move my eyes. Wait. Why is she moving? How the hell can she move?! "I got you now, Toshiro-san." She said with a sly grin on her face. She slowly approached me while humming a playful tune. I could only frantically watch her as she caressed my face with her soft hands. The hell?! What is she planning to do with me?! "You don't need to worry. I don't plan to kill you, nor hurt you. I'm also not an assassin from the Olympians. To be honest, I hate the Olympians. I loathe them," She said as I felt her fingertips caressing my dry lips. What the hell is she talking about?!

"You were wondering what I was seeking, right? Well, I'll finally answer that. I'm seeking someone, someone that could destroy the new gods," She whispered. With a snap of her fingers, I could finally move. The hell?! Was it just me, or time froze for two seconds?! Without thinking, I quickly tried to attack her, but with another snap of her fingers, my body froze. What the hell?! She can control time?! "My, my. Like I said earlier, I don't seek to harm you. Why would I hurt the demi-god that I'm seeking for?" She playfully whispered as she caressed my face once again. With another snap of her fingers, I regained control of my body. "And that's my limit. You really know how to play, Toshiro-san." She remarked as I kept the knife ready in my hand. "W-What the hell do y-" "You. I want you, to destroy the Olympians." She said as she placed her finger on top of my lips. "I … That's already my plan. Who the hell are you?!" I asked her as I cautiously lower my knife without removing my glare on her.

Before answering, she suddenly showed me the insides of her robes. Shit. That's a lot of knives. She gave me a playful giggle as she lowered her hood. Her black twin tails and her astonishing beauty caught my attention. "I'm Kurumi, an avatar of Moiroi of the new gods, and Kronos of the old gods." Kurumi introduced herself as she politely bowed in front of me in a ladylike manner. Wait. What? She's an avatar of both new and old gods? If I could recall correctly, Moiroi is the combination of the sisters of fate, Lachesis, Atropos, and Clotho. Kronos, one of the first titans and father of Zeus, is the god of time. He was one of the first that was struck down by Zeus during the war. Rumor said that Kronos managed to slip away, but died soon after.

* * *

 _Toshiro._

Ah. My lord! It's been a while! I ... have a situation right now, so now isn't the time ...

 _It sure is. I'm sorry, but I have to lay low for now. As you know, my current power level is a mere shadow of my former strength. I have to stay asleep most of the time to conserve my power._

You're the one who keeps my immortality in check, right?

 _Yes, so please don't waste your life. You don't know how much it strains me to keep the hands of Tartarus at bay whenever you die._

A-ah. I didn't know. I'm sorry …

 _Forget about that. This girl, take her in as your companion._

Huh? Can we be so sure, my lord? She ... seems shady.

 _Trust me. Kronos died centuries ago. At that time, Moiroi defected into this neutral status. She didn't support the Olympians. She was merely a fate teller, but ever since she told Zeus that someone from the old Gods would overthrow them, that sparked the massacre of the old gods during the War of the Gods._

Centuries ago? That means that-

 _Yes. This girl, was an avatar of Moiroi back then. When Moiroi defected, she hurriedly went to the dying Kronos. If they let Zeus and the Olympians do what they want, the world will burn. The same world they're trying to govern will die. Everyone will die. The goddess already saw the future, that's why she went to Kronos. By invoking an old ritual, like we did, this girl became their avatar._ _She became a demi-god, and a powerful one. Unlike me, who had a dwindling amount of power, Kronos had an immense power that none of the old gods could compete with. Before he died, he passed down most of his powers to this girl, thus giving her immortality and time control._

Well, lucky her.

 _Shut it. She seems to believe that you're the prophesied one; the one that will bring down the Olympians. Zeus misinterpreted that, and slaughtered most of the old gods. He didn't know that a mere mortal, which will become an avatar of one of the old gods, will be his bane. Truth to be told, I believe you're the prophesied one too._

A-Ah … thank you, my lord. I have to live … up to your expectations, yes?

 _Never mind that. Anyway, take her in._

* * *

"Alright. I muttered as I fixate my eyes on her. Tsh. Another one? Not to mention, she's a girl. Yuno will be not pleased by this. "Give me a break ... Anyway, my lord told me to take you. Since it's his orders, I can't reject you." I said as I noticed the passage of time resumes. Suddenly, she leaped towards me. Her embrace caught me off guard. "W-What …?!" I remarked as she playfully looked at me. "Take care of me, alright, Toshiro-kun? Also, I'll be watching you fulfill the prophecy." Kurumi said with a giggle. Before I could even reply, the sudden swing of the door caught my attention. My pink haired companion stood there, with a surprised look on her face.

 _What the hell is this?! Toshii … ?!_


	6. Chapter 4 - Chimera Trouble

Huh? Where am I? Wait a minute. I know this wooden flooring, this wooden dinner table and this very similar homey atmosphere. This is … my home. My home that was destroyed by Hades … This is … a dream. What the hell am I doing here? Am I reliving an old memory of mine? I carefully looked around. By the stove, was my mother, who was diligently cooking something. By my side, was my father, who was polishing an old dagger of his. In front of me, was this black haired girl. Hm? Kurumi? No … wait. I know her … I think …

"Toshiro, help … set the table." Mother instructed me to help this girl in front of me. Odd. When mother said her name, her voice was inaudible. Who's this girl? I don't remember having a sister. What the hell is happening? As expected, their faces were blank. I felt some pain inside me as I stood up. I should wake up. If I keep this up, I'm going to lose my sanity. No matter how hard I try, I can't force myself to remember my forgotten memories. It's the price of my immortality. "Toshiro. Where are you going? Your mother told you to do something." Father said as I slowly walked towards the front door. "I … need to get out of here. I need to wake up …" I muttered. As I slowly opened the front door, the dark abyss of Tartarus was in the other side. Ah. A very familiar sight. I rather bathe in this darkness than in these broken memories of mine …

 _Toshiro._

A sudden unfamiliar voice caught my attention. Wait … it's not really unfamiliar. I've known that voice throughout my childhood. I slowly turned around, but the next scene stunned me. The bodies that were there a while ago, was changed into walking corpses, slowly limping towards me. The old scene that I quickly recognized was replaced into a devastated scene, where debris was littered around me. "It's your … fault …" They said as they reached out for me with their decaying hands. "My fault …?" I muttered as the arms of the abyss slowly grabbed onto me. I no longer fear death. As the avatar of the old god Thanatos, I've come to embrace it. "You … left us to die! Die with us ….! Come with us …!" They said as I felt the grip of their decaying hands around my neck. "H-Heh. How I wish I could die …" I muttered. As their corpses tried to gouge my insides out, I could only numbly stare at the darkness as my consciousness slowly wavered away.

* * *

 _Keep at it, Yuno! Don't give me any space! Keep the pressure!_

I shouted as Yuno tried her best to keep up with her attacks. Though this is a practice session, I told her to be serious with this or she'll be doing the chores later. With my oversized sword, I neatly blocked off her attacks. "S-Stop blocking all of it, Toshii …!" Yuno annoyingly shouted as she took a step back and draw out her bow. Tsh. She's leaving a huge opening for me to strike. Was she listening to me or something? I quickly drove my sword onto the ground and sprinted towards her. "Too slow!" I shouted as I took out a wooden knife. I only bring this out whenever I'm planning to end our practice. It's been more than 10 minutes already. If we keep this up, Yuno's body will get strained. I could see a frantic expression on her face as I quickly closed the gap. Before I could even cock back my arm, I quickly noticed the sudden time-stop by our black-haired companion.

 _Time, has stopped, Toshiro-san!_

Ugh. That playful voice! I quickly realized that I was surrounded by Kurumi's wooden knives. Shit. 1 outstanding mortal and 1 time-controlling demi-god is too much for me. Due to our practices sessions, I grew some resistance to Kurumi's time stop. At most, she could stop time for 5 seconds, while I could move within the frozen time by 2 seconds. Her range is quite short though, like 3 meters around her. "Let's see if you could block all of these, Toshiro-san!" Kururmi happily giggled as she snapped her fingers. Within that instant, the passage of time slowly resumes. If one of those knives manages to break through my defence, I'll lose this session. Before the flow of time could even fully resume, I quickly slid below the knives and continued my sprint towards Yuno. Wait a second. Where the hell is that pink-haired girl?! Ah, crap. She wasn't in Kurumi's range! She moved while Kurumi froze time! Fuck! A sudden tag-team attack?!

 _Checkmate!_

A quick strike struck my back. I groaned in pain as I quickly looked behind me. Seriously? Yuno managed to sneak up behind me? "Tsh. Looks like I'll be doing the shopping later." I said as I sat down and let out a defeated sigh. "My, my. I never knew that Toshiro-san would actually lose to us." Kurumi playfully remarked as she approached us. "It's 2 versus 1. You have Yuno, who's pretty quick with her feet and you, who could stop time for 5 seconds. Heck, I didn't know that you girls would actually do a tag-team attack on me." I annoyingly remarked as Yuno hands me a cloth towel. "Come on, Toshii! Don't be a sore loser!" Yuno playfully said as she helped me wipe away my sweat. "Tsh. Alright, alright. I have to hand it to you. You're becoming faster every practice session we have," I praised Yuno as I slowly stood up. "And you, Kurumi. You're too good to join in our practice sessions. Hell, you already mastered your time-stop ability by now." I annoyingly remarked as Kurumi let out a playful giggle. "Don't worry, Toshiro-san. I'm just merely trying my best not to be rusty with my abilities." Kurumi said as she gave me a playful grin.

It's been some time ever since Kurumi joined our party. At first, Yuno was really hostile of her since Kurumi is rather aggressive. She likes teasing the both of us. From her enticing words to her seductive actions, she's pretty relentless. There are times she would sneak in my bed, even though I already have Yuno beside me. But slowly, she proved herself as a worthy companion to us. At one point, we took a quest that involves taking out some bandits. At that time, we were heavily outnumbered. It was a close call, but she managed to save Yuno with her time-stop ability. After that, the hostility and tension between the two vanished. From time to time, Kurumi gave Yuno some fortune telling about romance and those things. To my surprise, Yuno was the type of girl who would actually believe in those things. Also, my speculations were correct. The presence that saved us during our fight in the minotaur's den was hers.

After buying our supplies, I headed back to our rented room. I was welcomed by my two female companions with a smile. "I bought some bread and some cheese." I said as I placed the groceries aside. "That's plenty … Did you spend too much, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she helped me sort out the groceries. "Not really. We still have some coins to spare from the reward money in our previous quest." I replied as I took a glance at Kurumi, who busy doing some maintenance with her equipment. When we went to the blacksmith back then, her eyes were fixated in a black-leather armour. Like Yuno, she favors light armor and she's pretty proficient with short swords. Without asking, I bought her the armor and gave her a new robe where she could hide her knives with.

"Are we prepared for tomorrow, Toshiro-san?" Kurumi asked as the three of us ate our breads. "Yep. We leave at dawn." I said as I looked at the two, who was happily eating their meal. Before going back, I accepted an urgent quest from the city's guild. The quest requires us to take down a Chimera who destroyed a nearby town. That town was pretty vital to the city's trade goods and everyday living. I haven't faced a chimera before, but I've heard rumors about those beings. Those hybrid monsters are made up with the body and head of a lion, rear legs and a head of a goat just behind the lion's head and a large snake for its tail. At most, I have to draw its attention while my two companions do some damage. Though Kurumi is pretty efficient with her time stop, it has a 10 minutes cooldown period where she's pretty vulnerable from attacks. Though she's considered partly immortal since she stopped aging and is invulnerable to mortal diseases, she can be struck down with any blade. Unlike me, she can't escape the hands of Tartarus.

"A chimera, huh? Do you think we can handle it, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she readied her equipment for tomorrow. "I guess. Just don't get complacent. Always keep your guard up," I replied as I sat down on top of my usual bed. "Anyway, have you seen the outcome of this battle, Kurumi?" I asked Kurumi who was sitting in front of me. "I'm sorry, but no. I could only see the outcomes for major battles and events in the future." Kurumi replied as she shakes her head. Hm. So this battle is not considered as a major battle for us? "Then when's our next major battle?" I asked her. After hearing my question, she then closed her eyes. After a while, I sensed something omnipotent from her, which is probably because she's using Moiroi's power.

"Soon. In the vision, I saw you taking on a man with an unearthly lust for battle. The battle will end as he struck you down with his divine blade." Kurumi said as she tries to shrug off her sudden sluggishness. "Is he an Olympian?" I asked her. She simply nodded at me as Yuno sat down beside me. An Olympian with an unearthly lust for battle? That has to be Ares. Tch. I'm going up with someone who could actually kill me. Great, just great. "Does that mean … Toshii is fated to die …?" Yuno nervously asked as I felt her soft hands holding onto my arm. "It's not yet set in stone, so Toshiro-san is not really fated to die. In my visions, I could only see one outcome, but in reality, Toshiro-san could defeat the God of War." Kurumi replied. "Still, the God of War? Looks like I really have to train myself." I remarked as I let out a sigh.

Since we have a big day, we decided to sleep early. Since we only have two beds, we don't have a choice but to have one of us share one bed with another. At first, Yuno was supposed to sleep beside Kurumi, but she would wake up in the middle of the night and sleep beside me. To give her more time to rest, I've decided to let her sleep beside me from the start. Not to mention, she's having sleeping difficulties whenever she sleeps at the other bed. I don't mind it, but she could give me some alone time too. Anyway, the usual, Yuno was lying down beside me while Kurumi was already fast asleep. "You're worried about the future?" I asked Yuno, who was resting her head against my chest. "I … don't want you to die … but I'm powerless against a god. Can't Kurumi do something about it?" Yuno asked with a shaken tone. "Kurumi can't interfere with my fights. As long I'm fighting an Olympian, she can't fight alongside us. Since she's an avatar of two neutral gods, she has to remain neutral and let me, an avatar of an old god, to do the fighting." I stated as I petted her head. "But … Yo-" "It's going to be okay, Yuno. I'll find a way to beat Ares. Besides, if I die at that time, who's going to take care of you?" I said with a chuckle. In reply, Yuno suddenly embraced my neck. I could feel the shaking in her arms slowly fading away as she slowly calmed down. "Stay with me, alright, Toshii?" She asked as she nuzzles her face on mine. I simply nodded as the both of us slowly fell asleep.

* * *

We set out at the very break of dawn. Since the village is in a walkable distance, we'll arrive there before noon. In our formation, Yuno was in front since she has better tracking and sight abilities than me. Kurumi is in the middle, while I guard the rear guard. During our walk towards the village, we stumbled on some debris and dead bodies along our path. In the exiled lands, there are only a few mortals that could actually fight the land's monstrosities. Yuno is probably capable doing that as long she improves her abilities and skills. "Should we give them a proper burial?" Yuno asked as she stopped in her tracks. Before she could even approach one corpse, Kurumi suddenly stopped her. As I watched Kurumi grab onto Yuno's arm, I suddenly felt the ground trembling. Tch. Here it comes. "Yuno, Kurumi! Get behind me! Now!" I shouted as I quickly pulled out my oversized sword. I quickly donned my horned helm as my companions readied their weapons. By the horizon, I could see the chimera charging towards us. As the beast leaped towards us, we quickly evaded it. Up close, it's pretty big. It's like 8 feet tall and probably the length of an ordinary house. The goat let out a maniacal laughter as the beast readied its attack.

"Kurumi, Yuno! Sides!" I shouted as I quickly charged in with my blade ready. The lion quickly answered with a slash. I could feel its power as I blocked its attack. Hm. Not bad. That alpha minotaur back then had more power in its swings. As I pushed its paw back, Yuno began her barrage of arrows. One by one, the iron-headed arrows pierced the beast's body. In retaliation, the snake lashed its head towards Yuno. Kurumi quickly stepped in and parried the snake's attack. "Good! Keep it going!" I shouted as I kept the lion busy. Suddenly, a red magic circle caught our attention. What the hell?! The goat's head is capable of magic?! "Toshi! Look out!" Yuno shouted as I suddenly felt the air around me grew colder. Within a blink of an eye, an ice spire erected beneath me. As I narrowly evaded the sharp tip of the ice spire, the lion quickly took advantage of my opening. "Toshiro-san! Ti-" "Don't use it yet! Don't waste it!" I shouted as I fell on my knees as I blocked the lion's attack.

"Yuno! Take out the goat! We have to stop it from chanting spells! Kurumi! Chop off the snake!" I shouted as I kept the pressure against the lion. As the snake spewed out its venom towards the two, my two companions quickly evaded it. I could see the ground turning black as the venom landed on top of it. "Careful of the poison, Toshiro-san! It's pretty lethal!" Kurumi shouted as she fends off the snake's attacks. "I can see that!" I shouted as I managed to wound one of the beast's front legs. As one of the attacks of the lion sent me reeling backwards, Yuno quickly took out her daggers and charged right in towards the goat's head. By the edge of my eye, I could see Kurumi's body flung upwards. Tch! The snake's aiming for Yuno! I narrowly evaded a slash, which I heard the clink in my helm, and charged towards the rear of the beast. As the snake's head closed in towards Yuno, who was in mid-air, I cocked my blade backwards.

 **SLASH!**

With one mighty swing, the snake's head was cleanly chopped off. The beast painfully roared as it fell flat on its sides. As Kurumi slowly got back up, Yuno started her onslaught against the goat's head. Due to its pained state, the Chimera couldn't fight back. Slash after slash, the goat loudly groaned in pain. As three of us attacked in complete synergy, the beast endured our attacks and slowly got back up. With one loud roar from the lion, the shockwave made us reel backwards. "Tch! It's pretty tough!" I shouted as I tried to block one of my ears. With that opening, the goat managed to cast a fireball spell towards Kurumi, who was stunned from the lion's roar. "Kurumi!" I shouted as I quickly ran towards her. With one quick motion, I pushed her aside. The large fireball landed and I was sent flying towards a nearby debris. "Toshiii!" Yuno frantically shouted as I felt the heat burning my black armor. "That was pretty strong …" I muttered as I slowly stood back up. Tch. I could feel the heat seeping down into my chest. Good thing my armor's pretty thick or I'd have a hole in my chest right now. To my surprise, the beast was fixated at me. The wounded beast charged towards me, knocking Yuno out of the way. "Kurumi! Time-stop! Please!" Yuno shouted as she painfully tried to stand up. As the goat chanted an ice spikes spell, Kurumi sprinted towards us. As the first spike flew towards me, she quickly jumped in between us.

 _Time, has stopped!_

As the passage of time within her 3 meter range froze, we quickly took the opportunity. Kurumi flung out her knives towards the goat while I leaped in the air with my oversized sword cocked back. As my body reached its limits and stopped mid-air, I saw Yuno prepping a focused shot towards the beast. Though her pretty face was lightly bruised, Kurumi had a playful look in her face as her knives surrounded the goat's head. With the snap of her fingers, the passage of time continued. The first ice spike missed, and the knives pierced through the goat's fur and the lion's mane. As my mighty swing smashed open the lion's skull, Yuno's focused shot cleanly pierced through the goat's skull. Blood splattered on my black armor and Kurumi's robes as our combined attack fell the beast. After taking off my horned helm, I stabbed the ground with my oversized blade, which was covered with the chimera's blood. I took some deep breathes as Kurumi had a disgusted look on her face. "My robes! Tch! I just washed this!" Kurumi annoyingly remarked as the crimson liquid dripped down from her robes. "You could wash it later, sheesh." I said as Yuno ran towards us. I nearly fell on the ground as she suddenly embraced me.

"We did it, Toshii!" Yuno happily said as I regained my balance. "I did a lot too, Yuno-san!" Kurumi annoyingly said with a pout as Yuno let out a playful giggle. "Hm? You really have to work on your stance, Kurumi. You got bruised up." Yuno said as Kurumi began picking up her knives. Come to think of it, Kurumi's guard isn't that good. She had a hard time fending off the snake earlier. "Is your swordsmanship that bad, Kurumi?" I asked her as I gently pushed Yuno aside and helped our black-haired companion. "Well, I'm not really much of a fighter, Toshiro-san …" She replied. Geez. So that's why she wants to join in our practice sessions. "Alright, alright. Just like with Yuno, I'll teach you. We can't let you fight with an open guard after all since that's pretty risky." I said with a chuckle. "U-Uh … thank you, Toshiro-san …" She replied with a faint smile on her face. "Anyway," I said as I pulled out my sword. "Time to get some materials out of this chimera." I said as a disgusted look appeared on the faces of my two companions. "You do it, Toshii! It's disgusting whenever we split open a monster!" Yuno frantically remarked as she quickly stepped back. "A-Ah … Toshiro-san. I'm not delicate with my blade …" Kurumi frantically said as she did the same with a forced chuckle. "Tch. Yare yare. Give me a massage later, alright?" I said as with a defeated sigh.

* * *

The sun shone brightly above us as I walked towards the balcony. The sight of the white-walled structures of Olympia is still the same as ever. Tch. Things are pretty boring here in the city of the new gods. As the gentle breeze passed by, I fixed my long, brown hair. Ugh. Bed hair. Hm. I'm feeling famished. I might as well have one of my maids cook something. As I was about to turn around, the festive noises by the distance caught my attention. A parade? Ah. He's back. Our beloved general is back from doing his father's errands. From afar, I could see the people flocking the way towards the north exit, which is the entry point of the place where the gods and demi-gods reside. Behind the massive walled inner city, was the fabled Mt. Olympus, where the god of gods resides.

 _You there!_

A sudden loud voice caught my attention. The tall, and muscular man, who was riding the parading chariot waved at me with a smile. Damn, he's eyes are so keen. With a sigh, I leapt from the balcony and landed on the stone pavement. Hm. Three-story high and that didn't hurt a single bit? That's really something. Being the champion of the sun god is pretty good. I sprinted towards the chariot. The people made way for the general as he went down to welcome me. "Ah! Apollo's champion! It's been a while!" He said as he suddenly playfully embraced me. Ugh! I could feel my back breaking! This guy's strength is off the charts! "H-Hey! Not too tight, Herc! You're breaking my back!" I painfully shouted. "A-Ah! I'm sorry, friend! I got carried away!" Hercules said as he let go, which made me crash on my bottom. "Geez, playful as ever." I said as I painfully patted my aching bottom.

This muscular bearded man in front of me, is the demi-god Hercules. He's probably the finest warrior the Olympia. He's the current general of the forces of the Olympia. I grew up idolizing him. Now that I'm a champion of one of the new gods, I can't believe that he actually considers me as a friend. "Welcome back, Herc. You've been busy I see." I said as I noticed the amount of mithril behind his chariot. "Doing errands for the god of gods is quite tenacious, you see. He made go to the old mine to get mithril for Hephaestus. I think he's making him forge a new set of armor and weapon." Hercules said as he crossed his arms, which made him look like he's showcasing his muscles. As usual, the ladies around us are going wild for him. "A new armor for you?" I asked. "No, not for me. Remember that oriental girl that you saw a week ago?" He asked. "Wait. That oriental girl that he took in two years ago? That emotionless girl? Why her?" I asked as Hercules' men tried to best to control the crowd. "Beats me. I don't really a new one just yet, so it's fine. I haven't heard that girl speak ever since he took her in. She's dull as ever if you ask me. She's always locked inside her quarters. Even Father can't make her speak." He replied.

That oriental girl that Hades brought to the court of Zeus two years ago is still same as ever. She had a soulless expression in her face when she was brought her, and up until now, she still has that expression. I've heard that girl is Zeus' new champion, but is that possible? Is she that good that Zeus chose her to represent him? Why would you need her when you have Hercules, who's capable of destroying any army the exiled lands could offer? That's pretty odd. "Anyway, I'll see you later, friend. I have to deliver these ores to Hephaestus' forge. Wanna go to the tavern later and get some drinks? We could get some fine women also …" Hercules playfully asked me as he gave me a pat on my shoulder. "I'll be there." I replied with a smile as I tried to shrug of the pain from his pat. Geez. This guy can't control his own strength. "Ah! Want to bring along Hestia's new champion? I heard she's a hot! Anyway, catch you later, Yamato!" He said as he went back up his chariot. I could only watch him and his men stroll towards the inner city, with the people behind their backs. It's really hard to be famous, huh? Hm. Hestia's champion? That should be that Kotonoha girl that I met the other day. I might as well vi-

 **WHOOSH.**

Huh? With a blink of my eye, I found myself in the marbled court of Apollo, the Sun god. The corinthian columns arcaded the throne as the slim-looking man sat on top of his throne. "Yamato. Welcome." Apollo said as he stood up and approached me. "My lord. What can I do for you?" I said as I quickly bowed down. "At ease. We have a quest, my dear champion. Lord Zeus gave us a quest earlier." He stated. "A quest? What is it, my lord?" I asked as I stood up. "It's pretty trivial. He tasked us to kill a certain avatar of the old gods." He said as he brought out his fabled sun bow. His sun bow was forged in the fires of the Hephaestus' forge. It doesn't need any arrows since it harness the power of the sun to create fire arrows out of thin air. "An avatar, you say? Those old gods are still trying to get their revenge?" I asked as he hands me his bow. Since I'm his champion, I could wield his bow whenever we have a quest. Come to think of it, it's been 2 years since he chose me to represent him. "Seems like it. You'll journey towards the exiled lands. Find and kill the man. After that, bring back his head. Those were Zeus' orders." He said.

With a bright light, two people appeared in front of us. One, was the Hestia, goddess of Chasity and Homes. The other one was her black-haired champion. "Ah. Here she is. Welcome, Hestia! I see that you've brought her along." Apollo said as he warmly welcomed the two. "Geez. She's just new but she already has a quest? We can't even bond that much." Hestia remarked with a sigh as her champion looked around. "Come on. It's good to let her have some experience as a champion, no?" Apollo said with a chuckle, which made the black-haired girl frantically turn around. "A-Ah! Apollo-sama! H-Hello there!" She frantically said as she bowed her head. Geez. Is she an airhead or some sorts? "Ah! She's cute! Just like her god!" Apollo remarked with another chuckle. "Give it a break, Apollo. Anyway, introduce yourself to your companion. Oy, Yamato. Take care of her, will you? Also, don't get any funny ideas! Though she has a great body, that doesn't mean you're allowed to defile her!" Hestia said with a pout as her champion slowly looked up towards me.

Wait. This is girl is my companion for my quest? Tch. I hope she won't drag me down. I want to get this over with as soon as possible. "Uh, right. I'm Yamato, the sun god's champion. Pleased to meet you." I said as I gave her a smile. "A-Ah … I'm Kotonoha … Hestia-sama's champion. Please take care of me …" Kotonoha meekly introduced herself. "She's pretty shy, but don't worry. She won't drag you down. She's nearly capable as you, Yamato." Hestia said with a big smile on her face. "Ah! A rival perhaps? Don't lose, Yamato!" Apollo said with a laugh. "I see. I'll look over her progress for you, Hestia-sama." I stated. So I'll be doing this quest with this girl, huh? This might be interesting. Let's see where this goes.


	7. Sidenote - Terms and Characters

Term and Characters:

Olympians – The new gods that revolted against the old gods. Lead by Zeus, the son of Kronos and Rhea, the Olympians struck down and exiled the old gods.

Exiled Gods – The old and original gods. Most of them were wiped out during the war of the gods. Though in small numbers, all of them wish to reclaim what's rightfully theirs.

War of the gods – The Great War between old and new gods, which resulted to the exile of the old gods. The new gods took their territory for their own and named it Olympia.

Champion – a mortal chosen by a god to be their representative. This mortal has a potential that attracted a god. When a Trial of the Gods happens, this mortal will be that god's representative. Those who win the battle royale will become a demi-god and will be allowed to reside with the gods.

Avatar – a mortal infused with a god. This mortal was chosen by a god to be their vessel, thus making them a demi-god, though this ritual is considered as taboo by the new Gods. Their ability differs from one another and depends on the power of their god. The old gods resorted to this ritual to allow themselves to survive after their utter defeat from the new gods. A mortal can be a champion /avatar for two gods, but that is also considered taboo.

Trial of the Gods – a battle royale between the champions of the new gods. The winner is granted the power of a demi-god and can reside with the gods. The losers will be stripped off of their champion status and will revert into mere mortals. Previous winners of this event cannot participate in future events.

Toshiro - the avatar of Thanatos. He became an avatar to save his town from an unknown omen. Due to the pagan avatar ritual, he became a demi-god. His immortally comes with price. If he dies, he'll be revived but he loses some of his memories. His family was killed, his town destroyed, and his adopted sister was kidnapped by Hades during the avatar-ritual. His goal is to carry his lord's wish and destroy Olympus.

Thanatos – the old god of Death. He was forced out of the underworld by Hades. With his family killed, he surrendered during the war of the gods. His hatred for the new gods grew every single day that passed. He aims to get revenge and reclaim what's rightfully theirs. At that time he chose Toshiro, he was already severely weakened. After the avatar-ritual, he resides within Toshiro's consciousness, but is asleep at most of the time to save his power.

Yuno – Toshiro's companion. She lost her family, but she can't remember how. The day she lost her family, she stumbled onto Toshiro, who recently lost some memories. Sensing her potential, Thanatos ordered his avatar to take her in. Under Toshiro's guidance, she became a very-skilled strider. She's very efficient with her bow and double daggers. Due to Toshiro's promise, she is very attached to him and will do anything for him.

Kurumi – Toshiro's companion and avatar of both Moiroi and Kronos. She became immortal just a few centuries after the war of the gods. Due to the prophecy that her goddess saw, she tasked her to find that mortal and oversee the prophecy. For a long time, she went around the exiled lands as a wandering fortune teller. She helped Toshiro when they fought the minotaurs in Knowell village. She is very playful to her two companions' dismay. She's efficient with short swords and has the ability to stop time for 5 seconds.

Moiroi – The Goddess of Fate. She is commonly known as the Sisters of Fate (Clotho, Atropos, and Lachesis). She became a neutral god during the Great War due to a prophecy that she saw. She neglected her responsibilities and the new gods exiled her. She chose Kurumi as her avatar and gave her the responsibility to find the prophesied mortal.

Kronos – The old God of Time and Father of Zeus. He was defeated by his own son during the Great War. Exiled and dying, he waited for his impending death. Moiroi appeared and showed him the prophecy. With his last ounce of power, he infused her avatar, Kurumi, his power to aid her search for the prophesized mortal.

Mikasa – adopted sister of Toshiro. Her parents were travelling merchants. She lost her parents when bandits attacked their wagon, but Toshiro saved her. His family took her in and treated her as their own daughter. She grew attached to Toshiro and soon, behind her foster parents' backs, became lovers with him. Due to her potential, she was kidnapped by Hades and was brought to Zeus. She is now emotionless and in a coma-like state.

Zeus – the God of Gods. He was one of the first new gods who revolted against the old gods. The new gods revered him as their leader and gave him the title, God of Gods. He has immense power that could strike down anyone he pleases. Since his son has already won the previous battle royale, he ordered his brother to kidnap Mikasa so that he could make her his champion.

Hercules – the son of Zeus and a famous demi-god. As a young man, he withstood twelve labours that made the new gods accept him. Furious about his husband's infidelity, Hera, wife of Zeus and Goddess of Marriage, tricked him into killing his own wife. As the new gods exiled her, his father granted him the role of Olympia's general. Ever since his wife's death, he became a blood-thirsty man in the battlefield who will not hesitate to strike anyone down. He is the winner of the previous battle royale.

Yamato – the champion of Apollo and companion of Kotonoha. A young man who was born in the land of the new gods. He finds his normal life boring and wishes an adventure. His adventurous attitude and unparalleled expertise in bows caught Apollo's attention. He is now tasked by Zeus to kill a certain avatar of an old god.

Apollo – the God of the Sun. Armed with his Sun Bow, he contributed a lot in the Great War. Though he's valiant in the battlefield, he's a happy-go-lucky guy. He's the twin brother of Atermis , the Goddess of the Hunt.

Kotonoha – the champion of Hestia, and companion of Yamato. A young meek and innocent woman that Hestia noticed. Her naïve nature is quite contradicting to her companion. Though she's quite hesitant in battles, she's quite efficient with rapiers.

Hestia – the Goddess of Chasity and Home. A young-looking goddess that partly participated during the Great War. Due to her peaceful nature, she hardly participated in the fights. If she is forced to fight, she can fight back with her rapier, Ainz.

Hades – the God of the Underworld and brother of Zeus. An ominous new god that managed to kill Thanatos' family and forced the old god out of his own realm. Out of the three brothers, he does all the dirty work.

Poseidon – the God of the Ocean and brother of Zeus. A noble and prominent new god that served as Zeus' right hand man during the Great War. Armed with his mighty trident, he's a formidable foe that the old gods faced.


	8. Chapter 5 - Axe and Shield

The cold and harsh nights in the wilderness of the exiled lands are pretty bad. That's something the three of us could actually say. It's too bloody cold, compared to the rented rooms that we've been in. Ever since we left the city of Teros for the town of Melone, we've been shaking in sheer cold during the night. Well, I guess that's understandable since the town of Melone is quite near the Ice Mountains. Though we bought some thick clothing that could help us keep warm at night, it's not that effective. To survive the cold, the three of us resorted to sleep beside each other. Believe me, it's something you wouldn't wish for. Aside from Yuno's constant sleep-talking, Kurumi moves around when she's asleep. At times, I would wake up in the middle of the night since she smacked my face with her fist. Geez. I can't catch a break with these girls.

"How long till we reach the town, Toshii?" Yuno asked as she sat beside me on top our newly bought carriage. Thanks to the materials and rewards from the Chimera quest, we managed to buy our very own wagon. Xion, which is the name of our horse, is pretty strong so we don't need to buy another one. Also, I learned a neat trick from my lord. Whenever I don't need to use my blade and my black armor, I learned a spell that allows me to store away my equipment into my consciousness. If you ask, why in your consciousness, well, my equipment was originally my lord's, thus it is linked to my consciousness, where my lord resides. That greatly lessens the weight in our wagon. "Hmm. We'll reach that place within two days." I replied as I steered our horse into the dirt path. "Melone Town, right? I've been there before, but that was years ago." Kurumi said with a chuckle as she peeked out from the canvas covers of our wagon. Most of the time during our travels, Kurumi would slack around at the back our wagon. She would usually sleep beside our travelling resources.

"Hm. I see. Also, there's rumors lately. The town is ridiculed with snow harpies." I commented as I kept my eyes on the road. "Snow harpies? Those flying monsters? Don't worry, Toshii! I'll deal with them!" Yuno cheerfully said. "Ahh. We could pluck out their feathers once we kill them. We could make a good robe that could help us last as we pass through the mountain pass." Kurumi remarked with a giggle as I noticed a sudden gleam in her hetero eyes. Well, she has a point. To reach our destination, which is the city of Amondia, we need to go through a lot of towns and harsh environments. After reaching the city, which is in the borders of the exiled land, we'll traverse the Old Forest and pass the Ancient Quarry to reach the land of the new gods. At this pace, we'll probably reach that city within 6 months.

"How long did we stay in Teros again?" I asked as the cold breeze made me pull up my hood. "Hm, 3 weeks, I think? What's up, Toshii?" Yuno replied as my sudden question caught her attention. "At most, we could stay in a town for a month. We have to keep going or we'll be delayed." I replied. "Are you talking about the prophecy, Toshiro-san?" Kurumi curiously asked. Before leaving Teros, Kurumi shared a prophecy that her goddess saw. In the prophecy, the new gods will defeat and cast the old gods into the lands ridiculed with monstrosities and illness. Due to an unknown cause, the God of Gods will be corrupted with fear, and will destroy everything in this world. To save the innocent people that will be killed, a mere mortal will rise up and take on Zeus. Kurumi believes that I'm the prophesied mortal. At first, me and Yuno were surprised when we heard the prophecy. Me, the avatar of Thanatos, a demi-god that doesn't have any special traits aside my double-edged immortality, will fight Zeus? Well, if I have to defeat the Olympians, I'll probably face him. I'm the only one who can fight him. Yuno will not stand a chance, and Kurumi is a neutral avatar. I have to get stronger soon. If I can't, then how the hell will I beat Ares first?

When I noticed Xion's fatigue, we decided to make camp underneath some trees. I tied Xion in a nearby tree and gave him some fodder and water. As our horse rested, we began doing our usual routine. Kurumi will start a campfire, Yuno will ready our meal, while I scout and check our premises. Though I'm not that good at tracking, I'm slowly getting better. I can't always depend on Yuno on tracking or scouting too. At times, if there's a nearby river, I'll fish some fishes for our dinner. From our camp, I could see the ice caps of the mountain. We're nearly there, huh? To get a better look of our premises, I decided to climb one of the pine trees. At most, I could see the outskirts of the town. Though it's still quite far, I could vaguely see the destroyed houses that littered around the town. Hm. The rumor is true, huh? No, wait. Snow harpies are considered as a threat, but they can't destroy a town like that. There has to be more than that.

That night, we gathered around the campfire to warm ourselves. Our horse, which is quite near the campfire, is fast asleep. "I'm happy …" Yuno muttered as I was busy eating her cooked meal. Since it's quite cold, she made a beef stew with some potatoes, carrots and some greens. It's a fitting meal for our current situation. "Hm? Oh yeah, by the way. Marvellous as always, Yuno. Keep at it." I remarked. "My, my. Are you that happy that Toshiro-san is happily eating your dish, Yuno-san?" Kurumi playfully asked as I noticed the number of veggies at the side of her dish. "W-Well … yes. I'm happy that I could make Toshii smile …" Yuno meekly replied with a flustered look. "Just keep being yourself , Yuno. That's something that you could do to make me smile. Also, Kurumi, eat your veggies. We can't be picky." I stated as I gave Kurumi a tap on her forehead. "O-Ouch! Toshiro-san!" Kurumi annoyingly said with a pout as me and Yuno began to laugh. With these two, I can't help but to feel contended. These little memories like these makes me want to protect them more. As I looked at the two, who are playfully arguing about veggies and Kurumi's eating habits, a sudden image popped in my mind.

A black-haired girl was sitting in front of me, who was feeding me with a wooden spoon. Though I couldn't see her eyes, her big smile was genuine. Damn it. It's that same girl again. Who is she? I swear, I met here before, but I can't remember her. Was she my childhood friend? No … I'm not sure. Tsh. I really hate this double-edged immortality of mine. Also, if she was a girl from the village, she's probably dead by now. I'm pretty sure no one survived that night. Just imagining my village being raze to the ground is brewing a fury inside me. That's something to drive me even further to defeat the Olympians.

* * *

At midst of my slumber, I felt something forcing me to wake up. I quickly opened my eyes and hurriedly sat up and examined our surroundings. Aside from Yuno's faint sleep-talking, everything was quiet. There was no threat around us. Everyone is sound asleep. That's odd. Something forced me to wake up. "Hm … ? Toshiro-san … ?" Kurumi muttered as she was lightly awakened by my sudden movement. "A-Ah. It's nothing. I'm just going out for a walk. Go back to sleep. " I said as I gently pushed her towards Yuno. As Kurumi dozes off, I walked towards the nearby trees. Did something tried to attack us earlier?

 _Ah. Toshiro. You're finally up._

Ah. My lord. Were you the one who was trying to wake me up? What can I do for you?

 _Yes. Nothing, really. I just noticed that you're restless recently. Are you alright?_

Ah. I'd be lying if I said I'm okay, my lord. At most, I'm coping, so don't worry about me.

 _Well, compared to your state a few months ago, I could certainly say you're doing better right now._

A few months ... ago, huh? I don't know, but when I woke up by the shore where I met Yuno, I felt relieved. It seems like I've forgotten something that was the source of my depression and despair.

 _That memory … if I had the power to restore it, would you like to remember it?_

Hm. Was it … that important to me? I … don't think I need that right now, my lord. I need to stay focused and carry out your task.

 _Hm. You're saying those things, but you've grown attached to your two companions._

My lord's sudden chuckle was a rare thing to be heard. At most, our talks were serious and were always oriented around his goal. Well, our current talk counts as something oriented to his goal, but it's more light-hearted compared to our previous ones.

A-Ah … I'm their guardian and the leader of this party, my lord. I'm simply doing what a leader would do for his companions.

 _Don't get too attached. You know that this journey of ours will not have a happy ending. At most, the both of them will die during our travels. The Olympians are not a joking matter. At your current state, you cannot defend them._

Is there … anyway for me to become stronger, my lord? You know that I can't finish your task with my current power.

 _It's too early to show it, my avatar, but I left something in your equipment. You do remember what I told you, right? You will slowly become stronger as you use the Blade of Ruin in your fights._

Your oversized sword, my lord? I didn't know it had a name.

 _Well … I have a problem with naming my things. If you want, you can change it. Anyway, as you kill a monster or a human with that blade, you'll harvest their souls. Instead of going to the underworld, the souls will be stored inside the blade. If given the enough souls, you'll unlock its full power._

Full power, huh? Does the black armor counts too?

 _The armor has its own special properties too, but at your current power, it'll take years before you could unlock it. Well, if you manage to kill some gods, that might do the trick._

Well, I still have a long road ahead of me, huh?

 _Don't forget my advices, my dear avatar. Don't take your life for granted. Remember, your death will slowly bring you to your own insanity …_

* * *

"Ah! Toshii! Harpies!" Yuno cried out as a flock of white harpies were flying towards us. Tsh. They're pretty hungry, huh? I was right. The town is done for and everyone's dead. Once this fight is over, we might as well salvage what we can. "Yuno, take them down! Kurumi, you and I will kill any stragglers!" I shouted as the three of us went into our formation. "Understood, Toshiro-san!" Kurumi merrily said as Yuno began her barrage of arrows. One by one, the harpies were picked off by Yuno's arrows. The ones who were lucky enough not to die by her arrows were killed by our blades. At most, we killed thirty of them when one of them started gawking and screeching. Suddenly, a pack of snow wolves appeared. What the hell is up with their numbers? I could count up to twenty wolves. Not to mention, the number of harpies are increasing. "Tsh. Yuno! How many arrows do you have left?!" I shouted as the wolves started to surround us. "Still plenty enough, Toshii!" Yuno replied as she kept picking the harpies one by one. "Alright! Kurumi, with me! We'll split up! Yuno, take down the harpies! We'll take down the wolves!" I ordered as I placed my blade in front of me. With one furious charge, I managed to make an opening for us. "Take care of Toshii, Kurumi!" Yuno shouted as she ran towards the harpies, which are flocking in the northern portion of the town.

As we sprinted towards the center of the town, the wolves closely followed us. Fortunately, none of them followed Yuno. "Alright. Kurumi. Let's see if you've improved," I said as I stopped in my tracks. "Wait. No time-stop, alright?" I said as she suddenly gave a displeased look. "I'm not that weak, you know, Toshiro-san!" Kurumi merrily said as she effortlessly avoided a lunge from one of the wolves. Sensing the opportunity to attack, she quickly capitalized and stabbed the wolf's skull. One by one, the wolves fell to her blade. "Not bad, not bad!" I remarked. After killing off the twelfth wolf, the sudden furious growling of something big caught my attention. I slowly turned my back. Behind us was a large snow wolf. "That must be their leader, Toshiro-san." Kurumi said as she removes the blood in her sword with a swing. "Hmph. Don't get complacent. A wounded beast is probably the most dangerous." I said as I readied my blade for its charge. For a few moments, I looked at the beast right into its eyes. It's getting ready to attack, huh? As the large wolf charged towards us, I readied myself for a counterattack. I could easily kill it off with one strike!

Suddenly, the large wolf stopped in its tracks. As I felt the ground shaking, the wolves suddenly retreated. "Ah. They ran away." Kurumi said with a disappointed tone. "Wait. Something's coming. Something big." I said as I noticed the shaking becoming fiercer. From a distance, I saw an abandoned house collapsing as a large human-like monster crash through it. Ah. Crap. Orges?! Well, that would answer how the village got wiped out. Since it's a rural area and is quite far from Teros, no one managed to send help to them. Three of them, huh? Wait. Is that, Yuno who's running towards us? "Toshii! I ran out of arrows!" Yuno frantically shouted as she ran towards us. "U-Uh … why are those … brutes look excited?" Kurumi worryingly asked as the three ogres charged towards us with an excited look on their faces. "Well, those things like women. Do I have to explain what they'll do to you once they defeat you? Tch. Nevermind. Yare yare. Yuno, Kurumi. Stay back. I'll handle this." I said as I placed my blade on my shoulder and slowly walked towards the charging trio. "Ah, Tosh-" "No buts. Go back to the wagon and bring it here after a few minutes. Also, I don't need any time stop, Kurumi. I already had my fair share against these brutes." I said with a sinister smile as I readied my blade. In reality, I'm simply seizing the opportunity to harvest bigger souls for my blade.

As the first ogre steps into combat, I quickly swung my blade towards its leg. With one instant slash, I nearly slashed its leg off. As it crashed towards me, I quickly followed my attack with an overhead slash onto its head. Tch. It sacrificed its arm to block my attack. The other two grew frenzied as they saw one of their comrades nearly dead from my attack. When frenzied, these things are faster and more dangerous. Knowing that this ogre beside me is nearly dead, I quickly ran towards the two. I narrowly evaded their punches as ran between their legs. Their punches pack a lot. I remember that one of those knocked me unconscious back when I took a quest near an Abby. Their legs are their weakness. Injure one of it, and it's basically unfit to fight any longer. With one powerful swing, one of the ogres fell down in front of me. I quickly leapt onto its head and used it to vault towards the remaining ogre who was still standing. Though it tried to grab onto me, my overhead slash was powerful enough to slash through its arm. As its body fell flat on top of the concrete pavement, the three of them groaned and shouted in pain. "This is why I hate fighting ogres. Your kind is too noisy." I annoyingly remarked as I pushed my blade into the ogre I was on top of. Blood spewed out onto my armor as the remaining ogre desperately tried to crawl away. Tch. I guess it's time to wrap this up. Too bad they don't match up with the Chimera or the Great Minotaur.

* * *

After that fight, we chose to rest near the east exit of the town. After gathering materials from the corpses of the monsters, we began scavenging the houses. Kurumi stayed behind with the wagon in case some of the wolves came back. "Ugh. It reeks." Yuno said as we entered the house. There was a putrid smell that was lingering inside the house. "It smells like something died here months ago." Yuno commented as she covered her nose. As we slowly looked around the house, I quickly noticed the mangled corpses in one of the rooms. The room had a huge hole in one of its walls. One of the ogres was probably eating these corpses, huh? As I covered my nose with the cloth that Yuno handed out, I went towards the corpses and closely examined it. Yep. Those bite marks are definitely came from an ogre. "This family died inside this room, huh?" I muttered as I looked around the room. "They could have run away from the town. Why did they choose to stay here?" Yuno asked. "They didn't have a choice. If they ran out, the harpies and the ogres would get them. They chose to hide inside this room until they died in starvation." I replied as I went back to her.

A sudden distressed look on Yuno's face caught my attention. "You okay? Are you injured?" I asked her. "It's … nothing, Toshii. I suddenly felt anxious when I imagined the family hurdling up in a corner inside that room." Yuno replied as she stared at a corner of that room. "Are you sure?" I asked her once again. "Don't worry, Toshii. If you want, you could inspect my naked body later ..." Yuno sheepishly said with a naughty grin on her face. "Nevermind. You're completely fine. Anyway, let's continue our search, shall we?" I said as I ignored her naughty words. I could see a disappointed pout in Yuno's face as she crossed her arms behind me.

At midst of our search, Yuno suddenly approached me. "Toshii, uh … can I ask something?" She asked. "Go ahead." I said as I continued to look around for anything we could use. Ugh. There's nothing we could salvage. We might as well use some wood planks from the houses for our campfire later. "Uh … aside from Kurumi, is there a black-haired woman related to you?" She asked. Huh? Where did that come from? "Did you ask Kurumi for another fortune-telling again?" I asked her as I turned around to face her. "Uh … yeah. That's also why she chose to stay in the wagon." She replied. "Yare yare. Hm. A black-haired woman, huh? Let's see. Well, there's one that comes into my mind. I have some vague memories during my childhood that has this black-haired girl. I don't remember her name, or her face. I can't even remember if we were related or not, but she's the only black-haired woman that I know for sure, well aside from Kurumi." I stated as Yuno let out a sigh of relief. "That's … good. Kurumi told me that a black-haired woman from your past will haunt you in the near future. I was just worried." She said. "Worried? Come on, now. I'm the physical avatar of the god of Death. There's nothing to be afraid of." I said with a chuckle as I petted her head. "Yeah … If it does happen, I'll protect you, Toshii! I will not let anyone harm you!" She said with a huge smile on her face. "Geez. I'll do the protecting, alright? You cover my back." I remarked as I give her a smile of my own.

* * *

Huh?

Where am I? This place … I don't remember being in this place. I don't remember stopping at a ruined temple. Yuno? Kurumi? Where are they? I don't …

 _Enough! Don't you think this is maddening, Thanatos?!_

Huh? Thanatos? My lord? In front of me was a familiar face that I haven't seen for 2 years. I haven't seen him since he became this voice inside my head. Thanatos, the old god of Death, was standing in front of me. He was wearing his black armor, the same armor that I'm currently using. Behind him was a short-haired man that was closely following him. He was wearing a black robe and a silver-crown resembling of a skull. It's like they had a heated argument or something. "Stop this nonsense, brother! If you go on your own, they'll kill you!" The man said as he grabbed onto Thanatos' shoulder. "What? We'll wait for them to wipe us out?! They already killed Mother, Father, and Hypnos!" Thanatos angrily shouted at the man. "Then what of their bodies, brother?! Why did you take away their souls!? Why not let them rest in the underworld?!" The man furiously asked him. "Why …? I … had to take away their souls or Hephaestus would make weapons and armors out of them! You know the Olympians! They'll do whatever it takes to kill us all!" Thanatos shouted back at his brother as he angrily shrugs off his brother's grip on his shoulder.

"Why … can't you accept the fact we're going to lose this war, brother? We … can't win this. Not like this. Zeus … he said that if we surrender peacefully, we'll only be exiled. They'll spare our lives … brother!" His brother said as he tried his best to convince Thanatos. "Lies … Those are lies, brother! Did you not saw how they killed Rhea?! Did you not saw the vicious look in Zeus' eyes when he struck down his own mother?! They are mad, Moros! Who told you that?!" Thanatos furiously shouted at his brother. Wait. Am I reliving a memory of my lord right now? It is, right? This one's probably before the end of the war. "I … It was Hades … Ker brought him to me. He told me that it was the will of Zeus. Zeus himself didn't want a bloodbath." Moros replied as if he was choking on his own spit. "You … don't tell me … You'll join our sister and side with Olympians?! You traitor!" Thanatos shouted as a furious backhand landed on his brother's face. Moros felt flat on the floor, touching his bruised cheek. "Think logically, Thanatos! If we side with the Olympians, we'll be spared! You never know, they might give us the opportunity to stay here!" Moros shouted back at his brother, who was furiously glaring at him. "To think that you're our older brother … you're a fool. I will not side with those people. I … do not wish to speak to you ever again. I cannot bring myself to accept that my own kin would actually betray his own kind. Goodbye, brother." Thanatos stated, as he turned his back against his brother and walked away from the ruined temple.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes. The clear, blue sky was the first thing I saw. Ah. That was a dream, right? No. That was my lord's memories. He had an argument with his brother. Moros, right? The old god of Doom. The eldest child of Nyx and Erebus. If I could their family tree correctly, Moros is followed by Thanatos, the god of Death. Thanatos' twin was Hypnos, the god of Sleep. Lastly, their youngest is Kers, the goddess of Death, who shared the same position and power with his elder brother Thanatos. Why did Kers and Moros defect to the Olympians? Was the war a lost cause for the old gods? I … don't want to pry in those things. Those memories are my lords and I don't meddle with those.

"Hm …? Good morning, Toshii …" Yuno muttered as she slowly woke up from her slumber. "Ah. Hey. Wake Kurumi up. It's almost time for breakfast." I said as I sat by the campfire, cooking our breakfast. "A-Ah … alright …" She replied as she tried to wake Kurumi. Geez. It's like she's still half-asleep. After eating our breakfast, we continued our journey. It's almost a week ever since we left the town of Melone, or what remained of it. We passed through Melone Pass, which would lead us to the next town, which is the town of Petaros. Based on the map that I received back in Knowell, we still have 5 major towns and cities to pass before we reach Amondia. For now, nothing has attacked us. No wolves, no beasts or monsters. I sure hope this keeps up.

Another day passed like a blur. By afternoon, we've reached the somewhat outskirts of the rustic town of Petaros. From afar, I could see a black smoke coming from the town. "Ah. A raid perhaps, Toshiro-sa …" Before Kurumi could even finish her sentence; I noticed the sudden shocked look in her face. It's like she realized something and it's too late to prepare ourselves. "What's wrong, Kurumi?" I asked her as the skies grew darker. "Today … today's the day …" She mumbled as she looked at me frantically. "What day, Kurumi?" Yuno asked her.

 _Soon, you'll fight an Olympian with an unearthly lust for battle.  
_ _You'll die by his divine blade._

As Kurumi's words echoed inside my mind, I quickly noticed the number of soldiers that were at the other side of the town. Without hesitating, I hurriedly freed our horse and grabbed onto my two companions. We'll just find Xion later if we survive this! "Toshii?! Wha-" "Shut up! Keep your head down!" I shouted as I sprinted away from our wagon with the two girls in my arms. In a matter of seconds, a hail of arrows landed in the carriage. The canvas that was covering our wagon was filled with holes. "What the hell?! Arrows?! Who's attacking us?!" Yuno frantically shouted as I dropped them nearby the woods. "His army … Toshiro-san! I'm … I can-" "Kurumi! Are his troops counted?! Can you fight his troops?!" I frantically shouted as I kept a close eye at the sky. "Troops? Ah … yes. I can fight with his troops, but not with him." Kurumi replied as I sense the frantic tone in her voice. This is bad. Everyone's panicking. We better act fast. "Good! Do that! Keep Yuno safe! Yuno! Get your things from the carriage! Do not follow me! Instead, snipe those men from afar, got it?!" I shouted as another hail of arrows clouded the sky.

With that, the three of us split up. Kurumi and Yuno went back to the carriage while I sprinted towards the nearby hill. As I reached the top of the hill, my eyes were left wide open. A huge number of soldiers were waiting for me at the field. The archers who were the cause of that rain of arrows were at the far back. At the front were men with spears and shields. At the middle was a large man, who was donning a familiar helm with his axe and shield at hand. I knew it. That flag. That helm and shield icon. That has to be his. "Ah! The man of the hour has arrived! You must be the avatar of Thanatos, am I correct?! I knew it! You're attracted to the scent of death!" The man shouted with glee in his voice. "You killed those people to lure me out?!" I angrily questioned him as I brought out my black armor and helm. I don't sense any god-like aura from the soldiers. They're all mortal, which makes it easier to cut them one by one. "You bet. I had to kill some time while waiting for you, kiddo," He shouted as his men began to laugh. Tch. This fucker! The aura of an Olympian is making my blood boil uncontrollably! "You're alone? Heh. Give me a good show, will you, Thanatos?! I'll make sure to bring your head to Zeus once I'm done with you!" He shouted as his army readied for battle. "You! Areeeeees!" I furiously shouted as I brought out the Blade of Ruin.

Fueled by this unearthly anger, I leapt towards the frontlines of his army with no hesitation.


	9. Chapter 6 - Grateful Dead

The wind rustles my black hair as me and my companion made our way towards the south exit of Olympia. The marbled city is quite simple in its planning. If looked from above, you'll see a huge grid-like pattern within the city. The residences for the low to middle class are near the southern exit. At the western portion of the city are the marketplace, the armory, the forge, and the barracks. At the eastern portion is the residences for the high class people. Ugh. It's a bit boring if you ask me since there's no curves in the plan. Anyway, we came from my house, which is located by the north-eastern side of the city. My house is quite near to the northern exit, which is the entry point to the Court of the Gods.

"So, you have everything you need?" I asked Kotonoha as she closely followed me from behind. Judging by her appearance, I think she's trying to favor medium armors, but it doesn't look good on her. At most, the silver chest guard that she's wearing is the only thing that looks nice on her. "Y-Yeah. I made sure I didn't forget anything earlier." Kotonoha replied. "Ah. I see. Question. Do you ... like medium armors, or light armors?" I asked her as I adjusted my backpack, which has most of our things. Once we reach the pearl-white gates of the city, we'll get our horses at the stable. That lessens our travelling burdens. "Uh … well … Hestia-sama told me to protect myself … so I … uhm …" She nervously mumbled as she quickly inspects her armor. Ah, heez. She's like an airhead or something. "Hm. Let's see. Most of the times you'll be in the frontlines since I'm a bowman. If you want, we could drop by my friend's workshop and get you a decent set. Ah. Do you need a shield, or you'll be just using your rapier?" I asked her as I noticed the number of people gossiping from a distance.

 _Ah. Ares has finally reached the exiled lands?  
_ _Yes. I heard that the God of Gods issued an urgent quest to his fellow gods and their champions.  
_ _Huh? To his fellow gods? Why not Hercules?  
_ _Well, you know him. He's quite busy since he's the general of the Olympian Army._

So it wasn't just us that received that quest from Zeus. If Ares is in the exiled lands right now, he probably brought his personal army along. I've heard that those men were potential champions of his. Since he can't decide who to pick, he simply made them into his own army. Also, those men were known bandits at some point. Like him, they share a similar lust for battle. One time, I've seen him with his men by the plaza. I swear, they had this intimidating aura that almost choked me from afar. Good thing I won't be associated with those savage men since Ares hates to work with other gods. He's like doing things his way, which is quite barbaric and savage. The other gods seems to steer away from him too.

"Yeah. I'll be just using Ainz in battle. Um … are you sure? I mean, I could … try to use this set …" Kotonoha frantically mumbled as I stopped on my track and looked at her. "Yeah. Hestia-sama entrusted your well-being to me. We might as well be well-prepared before we leave the city, right? It won't take long too." I said with a smile. "Uh … do we have some gold to spare?" She nervously asked. "Hmm. In my expense, we have a lot. Don't worry about it. Just pay me later or something." I said as I turned around and continued walking.

After some minutes of walking, we reached a nearby smithy. As we entered the premises, I could hear the loud noise of a metal being hammered. By the forge was a thin-looking man. He's was pretty busy with tempering a steel sword. "Leo. You have time to spare?" I asked as I approached the forge with Kotonoha by my side. "Hm? Yamato? Is that you? Wait a second," Leo said as he placed the steel sword aside. As he stood up, he took off his goggles and welcomed us with a smile. "My friend! It's been a while!" He said as he warmly embraced me. "Two months? Heh. How's the forge doing?" I asked him as Kotonoha watches us. "The usual, still making blades and armors for the army. My other men are at the back, polishing the steel armors that we just finished making. Anyway, what brings you here?" He said as he noticed my female companion.

I've met Leo when I was still young. When my Father was still establishing his connections within the city, he encountered Leo's father, who was a smith. At that time, his family just recently moved to the capital. If my memory serves correct, they originally came from the mining town of Miore. Since the mines were getting a bit dangerous ever since an earthquake shook the place, they decided to move out and start a life in the capital. Back then, Leo was a huge introvert. He doesn't like talking to people and likes to be alone in the forge. He wanted to be a smithy, just like his father. Probably, my friendly nature got rubbed into him. Now that his father is quite old, he's the one managing the forge.

"We're looking for an armor set that could fit her. Maybe, a mixture of medium and light?" I said as he carefully examined Kotonoha with his eyes. "Hm. You've never brought a girl to this place before. Is she your girlfriend?" He asked as an embarrassed look suddenly appeared in Kotonoha's face. "N-No. She's Hestia-sama's champion, you dolt. We're going to the exiled lands since the God of Gods gave us a quest." I replied as he walks towards the workshop. "Ah. That quest? Everyone's talking about it. An avatar of an old god, huh?" He commented. "I need some steel vambraces with leather straps, a set of lightweight steel shoulder guards, and lightweight steel greaves!" He shouted to his workers. "Uh … will it cost a lot?" Kotonoha asked as one of his workers quickly approached us with his request in his hands. "Thanks. Hm? Payment? I don't need that. I still owe Yamato big time since his father is our benefactor. It's on the house." He replied as he hands me the equipment.

In a matter of minutes, Kotonoha changed into her new armor set. "So, how do you feel?" I asked her as she inspects her new set of armor. "It's pretty light! I can move around in it!" Kotonoha happily remarked as she takes some practice swings with her rapier. "Your previous set was bad. In hinders the movement in your joints. As a fencer, you have to be quick on your feet." Leo remarked as he sat down in front of us. "A-Ah. Thank you so much, Leo-san!" Kotonoha said as she bowed her head. "Ah. She has manners." Leo said with a chuckle. "Anyway, you're still talking to Hephaestus?" I asked him as I looked around his forge. Hm. Messy as always. "Well, yeah. Most of the smithies in the city are his students. He's still looking for a champion though." He replied as he wipes away the dust in his googles. "You never know. That might be you." I said with a chuckle. "Huh? Me? That's ridiculous." He remarked with a chuckle of his own. Though Leo was skilled in field of forging, he wasn't the type of person who chase a demi-god status. He's a poor fighter, and if a Trial of Gods would happen, he'll never stand a chance against the other champions.

After a while, we then left Leo's smithy and went to the stable. We rode our horses as we left the marbled city of Olympia. "So, where to, Yamato-san?" Kotonoha asked me as the bright afternoon sun shone above us. "Hm. First, we need to reach the Old Forest. That'll probably take us a month. For now, we'll go to the town of Karkutura. We might as well take up some quests that we could do so that you could get some experience too." I replied as our horses galloped along the dirt part.

* * *

 **CLANG!**

The sound of blades clashing echoed throughout the battlefield. Sparks flied as my blade slashed through their steel armors. One by one, Ares' men fell lifeless on the grassy field. Some were slashed down while the others were decapitated or chopped in half. Tch. No matter how many I kil, it's like their numbers isn't decreasing. Damn it. How many men does he have in his army?! If this keeps up, I'll end up exhausted. Soon, this heavy armor and my oversized blade will slow me down. "What's wrong, Thanatos? I could hear you panting." Ares remarked with an unpleased look on his grizzled face. "This is barely a work out, dickhead." I commented as I kept fending off his men. Ugh. What's up with their eyes?! It's like these men are so lusty for a battle! Don't they fear death?

Again, the sky darkened as I noticed the incoming hail of arrows. Tch. He doesn't give a shit if his own men kill one another, huh? With my full armor, those things will not harm me. I could hear the clinking sounds of the arrowheads as my armor deflected the arrows. Again, the men that were surrounding me were killed by their own comrades. "Tch. That armor is the real deal, huh? Alright then," Ares muttered as he raised his hand. "Divine arrows at the ready!" He shouted as he gave me a sinister smile. What?! His men had enchanted arrows?! Tch. He's really prepared!

The next volley of arrows alarmed me. If one of those arrows manages to land on me, it'll probably penetrate my armor. In my case, a wound that came from a weapon enchanted with the divine will greatly hinder me in this battle. A single wound will a number of days to heal. Fuck. I have to do something. A sudden barbaric thought entered my thoughts as one of his men charged towards me. Heh. I might as well use you, huh? As the arrows were coming closer, I quickly stabbed the soldier and raised him upwards. Somehow, I managed to block some arrows with my meat-shield, but I'm unlucky enough that some managed to graze my limbs. I could feel the pain pulsating throughout my body as I threw aside my meat-shield's corpse. "There we go. Finally some damage! Thought we were unprepared, huh?" Ares mockingly asked as his men took out a phial from their equipment. Ah, fuck. All of them have enchanted weapons, huh? Well, this is going to be bad. This is probably the first time that I'll die by a blade. Before, I died due to my unpreparedness and to the damage that I couldn't endure. How many times have I died inside this armor? I can't help but to feel like I'm a walking deadman.

 **WHOOSH!**

Suddenly, a barrage of arrows came from behind me, killing the men in front of me. Finally, I get some covering fire. Yuno and Kurumi emerged from the hill behind me. As Yuno notices the large number of men that we're facing, she quickly readies another barrage while Kurumi stays on guard. "What?! Where did tha-" "Yuno! Aim for the archers! I'll deal with the footmen!" I shouted as I charged towards the men who were left surprised from Yuno's sudden barrage. "Oh? You have friends? Excellent! More blood for us to spill," Ares gleefully shouted as he pointed towards Yuno and Kurumi. "Kill those women! Focus on them!" He shouted as his men quickly ran towards the two. Tch! I leapt towards those said men and slashed them down. Their blood splattered into my armor as I kept on cutting them one by one. "Flashy as always, Toshiro-san." Kurumi said as she stood beside me, with her short sword at the ready. "Heh. They have to deal with me first before they could chase your skirts." I stated as I rest my oversized blade on my shoulder. With Kurumi by my side, we could protect Yuno as she takes care of those pesky archers.

After some while, I could finally see the number of Ares' men decreasing. Soon, the archers were taken care off. There are some men that managed to slip past me, but they met their demise in Kurumi's hands. I can see the fruits of our training as Kurumi gracefully killed her attackers. She's gotten pretty good with her sword. "Keep at it! Yuno! Kurumi!" I shouted as I noticed the panicked expression on the men's faces. Heh. We're actually winning. If this keeps up, we could wipe out his army. Suddenly, I sensed a heavy and intimidating aura approaching me. Finally, Ares steps into the fray. He was 6 feet and 10 inches tall and was towering over us. Somehow, I could feel a sense of nervousness as I watched him walk in the battlefield. I could even sense the nervousness from my two companions. So this is how it feels like to fight a god? Tch. I mustn't forget that these two can't take him down. They could buy me some time, but it has to be me who'll fight the God of War. I could see an angry look in his eyes as he stares me down. "Got tired of waiting, you old oaf?" I mockingly asked as I readied my blade. To my surprise, he grabbed one of his men and threw him towards me. "What the hell is planning?!" I muttered as I quickly stepped aside, but to my utter surprise, I failed to notice that he was charging towards me. Fuck! I got distracted!

 **CLANG!**

Though I managed to block his cleave, the very impact from his attack sent my body backwards. I could feel my ears ringing as I tumbled on the field. The hell was that?! Our power level is … vastly different! With one cleave, he managed to send me flying. Ugh. I could feel the pulsating pain from the wounds that came from those divine weapons and the pain from his attack numbing my body. Tch. How the hell am I supposed to beat him?! "Toshii!" Yuno worryingly shouted as she ran towards me. As I groaned and wheezed in pain, I quickly noticed his men charging towards Yuno. I could see a pained expression on Yuno's eyes as she tried to run past her attackers. Huh?! Why isn't she going into her trance?! Come on! Whenever she sees me heavy wounded before, she enters that trance of hers. Don't tell me ... that Ares' intimidating aura is actually hindering her?! "Yuno! Stay back!" I frantically shouted as I sensed the looming death approaching Yuno. As blood spewed out from my mouth, our black-haired companion steps in between the men and Yuno. I could feel the flow of time slowing down as Kurumi muttered her words.

 _Time has stopped!_

The men stopped in their tracks as they entered the frozen time. Ares had a confused look on his face as Kurumi quickly takes out Yuno's attackers. Though she managed to save Yuno, she had to use our trump card which is her 5 seconds time-stop. I was planning to use that to get upper hand against Ares, but we had no choice. I … have to find a way to beat this brute! Tch. Looks like I have to do a gamble. "Ah! I see! You're that avatar of that traitor! Zeus will be in my debt once I bring you to him!" Ares shouted as I slowly forced my body to stand up. "Yuno! What the hell happened?!" I asked her as I noticed Kurumi losing her footing. Fuck. With that, she's pretty much out of the fight. "Toshii! I ... couldn't get into my trance! Something ... was stopping me!" Yuno cried out. Shit. I was right. Ares' intimidating presence is actually doing something to us. "Forget that! Take Kurumi and get out of here!" I shouted as Yuno catches Kurumi's exhausted body. "But, Toshii! You're heavily outnumbered!" Yuno frantically shouted back as Ares slowly made his way towards me. "Just listen to me! Run as fast as you could! Get away from the battlefield! Now!" I shouted back as I tried my best to ignore the pain. I have to buy them some time. Somehow, I have to die but not in Ares' hands. If not, there's only one thing I could do. "No! I won't leave you to die!" She angrily shouted at me. Tch! She's really hard-headed! "Leave! Now! You'll slow me down! Just go!" I angrily shouted as I charged in towards Ares. Our blades clashed as his men watches us. I could feel my arms shaking with every attack that he blocked with his shield. Without showing any effort, he blocked all of my attacks.

"I … S-stay alive! Please!" Yuno tearfully shouted as she ran away from the battle. Finally, she listened to me. Again, one of Ares' attacks sent me flying. I could feel my senses slowly going numb as I forced my body to stand back up. Fuck. I cracked a rib, and I think I broke one of my arms. "Trying to play hero, huh Thanatos? Just like the old days?" Ares asked as his men made a circle around us. Fuck. No way out, huh? If his divine blade manages to cut me down, that's it for me. My lord can't bring me back this time around. Since Yuno and Kurumi are gone, time to use my ace then. I drove my oversized blade onto the ground and closed my eyes.

 _I am, the embodiment of death._  
 _The souls of the dead is my blade, and their screams of anguish and despair is my blood._  
 _Unknown to pain nor to life._  
 _Fuel my body once more so that I could deliver more souls to their end, Grateful Dead!_

Slowly, I could feel an unearthly fury creeping into my mind. Finally, it's kicking in. As I became the avatar of death, some of my lord's skills were passed down onto me. Though dwindling in power, I made sure I would use them effectively. Back then, Thanatos was well known for having this trance in the battlefield. This trance allows him to unleash his full power. The scent of death and the souls that he harvested triggers this trance of his. It's like his instincts takes over his whole body. The concept of pain and mercy were nonexistent during this trance. Even Ares, the God of War, cannot compete with him in his full power. This skill that he was fond of, was called Grateful Dead. I've … used this power before, but … at the end of that struggle, I died. At my current state, I'll probably die once the numbness of my wounds fades away. This is the only choice I have! If I'll die by his blade, I'll make sure I'll drag him to the abyss with me!

 _Kill more men. Harvest their souls!_

As I suddenly heard the chilling voice in my mind, I quickly changed my attention to Ares' men. "What the hell?!" Ares muttered as I slipped by him. I ran towards his men, as if I was a wolf charging towards a pack of sheep. These men are all mine to kill! Their screams of anguish and pain echoed throughout the field as a sudden tingling sensation fills my head. "Scream! Scream more!" I frantically shouted like a lunatic. This is why I hardly use this skill. Whenever I enter this trance, killing something and hearing something scream in terror is enough to make me feel giddy. It feels like I'm getting pleasure from all of these. Though some of them managed to wound me with their enchanted blades, it wasn't enough to stop me from my onslaught. As I managed to cut down a large number of his men, a black aura suddenly emerged from the Blade of Ruin. As the aura caught my attention, Grateful Dead suddenly ended. It felt something forced my trance to end prematurely. Wait a second. Their souls! I can feel the power surging inside the blade! I could feel my arm shaking as I tried to keep a hold on the blade. "Wait … I know this power … this feeling …!" Ares frantically shouted.

* * *

 _You … who are you … why did you wake me from my slumber?_

Huh? There's a different voice inside my head. Wait a second. It feels like I've heard this mellow voice before.

 _Thanatos … is that you … my brother?_

"You're … Moros, am I correct? The God of Doom?"

 _Yes … that was me … when I was still alive. You … are you … Thanatos' champion?_

"No. I'm his avatar."

 _Ah … I see. He finally made his last gamble, huh? You … require my strength, right? At the price of the souls that you've harvested, I'll let you use my power._

 _I grant you the gift of doom._

* * *

I let out a loud roar as I felt a tremendous power coming from the Blade of Ruin. Slowly, the aura subsided, but the feeling of death still lingers. "You … you made your brother into a weapon, Thanatos?!" Ares furiously shouted as he readied his axe. To my surprise, I could see him sweating as a distressed look appeared on his face. This is the first time I saw a god with that kind of look. The men around me was stumbling backwards. I could see their legs shaking in fear as I slowly made my way towards Ares. With every step I make, I could feel my body shaking inside my armor. I ... can't last any longer. I have to end this before I lose consciousness. "You really packed a punch, you fucker." I muttered. "I … This is ends here!" He shouted as he charges towards me.

 **CLANG!**

With one swing, Ares was left stunned as his shield broke into pieces. "What … No way …" Ares muttered as he quickly took a step back. How … did I manage to break a divine blade with my sword? Nothing could destroy those things. Even the weapons of the old gods couldn't break them. No, wait. It's possible now. Augmented with the power of doom, my blade can break through anything. Nothing can escape from their doom! This is, the gift of Doom that Moros had before! "Don't get cocky!" Ares shouted as he recklessly swung his axe towards me. As I blocked his attack with my blade, like his shield, his axe was shattered into pieces. It looked like his axe suddenly became rusted as it clashed with my blade. I see now. The Blade of Ruin could literally ruin anything it touches. It's like it curses whatever tries to touch its dark steel with doom. "I-Impossible …!" He desperately cried out. "Thanks to your army, I finally … unlocked Moros' power." I painfully said with a groan.

 **SLASH!**

Ares fell into his knees, shouting and grunting in pain, as my blade cleanly chopped off his right arm. I could see a black flame slowly making its way upwards from his bloody stump. His skin started to wrinkle and turn blackish as painfully tried to stop the black flame. "You really made me … go all out, geezer." I said as he furiously glared at me while clutching onto his bloody stump. "You … monster! Zeus … will avenge me! He'll destroy you!" Ares frantically shouted as he desperately tried to crawl away from me. " Two years … I was a wandering dead man for two years. I died over … and over again inside this armor. You Olympians … destroyed my home. You've killed my parents, and left me in a pit of despair. Now you dare to call me a monster? Heh. Who do you think the monster is?!" I shouted as I drove my blade onto his chest. He screamed in pain as I felt his soul being sucked into the blade. Slowly, his whole body was engulfed by the black flame. In his last moments, he suddenly began laughing. "You … think you have what it … takes to kill Zeus? Hah. Naïve … brat. No one can … defeat him. You couldn't even … beat her …" He muttered as he draws his last breath. Her? What the hell is he talking about? As I took out the oversized blade from Ares' lifeless body, I suddenly felt a tremendous amount of pain throughout my body. Ugh. There goes my limit. The sense of pain is coming back to me. This time, the battlefield was filled with my screams of pain as I desperately tried to endure all of it. Ugh. This is bad … I'm losing consciousness …

Am I … going to die … again?

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes. Though blurry, the first thing I saw was the night sky. Weird. I fell in the battlefield, right? Why can't I smell the scent of death? Did Yuno and Kurumi move my body? I sluggishly sat up. Huh? I'm topless and all bandaged up. A few meters away from me, was Yuno, who was busy cooking something by the campfire. "Ah. Yuno-san. Toshiro-san is finally up." Kurumi said as I noticed our black-haired companion walking towards me with some herbs in her hands. "Ah! Toshii! How are you feeling?" Yuno asked as Kurumi sat down beside me and began applying some salve into my wounds. Wait. I have wounds? "I didn't … die, huh?" I said as the sharp sting from the salve made me groan. "Don't be silly, Toshiro-san. We know what could happen if you die. We can't let you waste your memories and your lords' power after all." Kurumi said as Yuno approached us.

Suddenly, Yuno began pinching my cheek. "H-Hey!" I painfully cried out. "Do you know how much I was worried, Toshii?! Who knew that you were planning to commit a suicide attack against Ares?!" Yuno angrily said as she lets go of my sore cheek. "I … had to. It was my only choice. If not, I couldn't unlock Moros' powers. I would've died back there, and I won't be coming back." I said as I rubbed my cheek. "Moros? The god of Doom? I did hear that Thanatos did some heinous acts after he was exiled. I never thought he made his own brother into his blade." Kurumi commented as she continued to apply the salve into my wounds. "Well, he probably has his reasons. You know, to take back what was rightfully theirs?" I said as I noticed Yuno's teary eyes. "Yuno-san was really worried about you, Toshiro-san. Look at those dark circles below her eyes. She was worried sick that she couldn't sleep at night." She said as Yuno embarrassingly tried to look away. "I can't help it! I … I thought Toshii was going to die and forget about me! I don't want that to happen!" Yuno cried out as she tries her best to stop herself from crying. Pft. I can't help but to smile as I finally acknowledged how important I am to Yuno. If I had died back then, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. Heh. All of these wounds were worth it. "Sorry, sorry. Will not happen again. Promise." I said as I bring Yuno closer to me. To her utter surprise, I began cuddling and petting her. "T-Toshii … what are y-" "This is the payment for taking care of me. Thanks, Yuno, Kurumi." I said with a smile.

Seriously. These girls won't let me catch a break.

* * *

 _Brother, did you feel that?_

 _I did. Ares has fallen, didn't he?_

 _Hmph. He got too complacent. So much for being the God of War._

 _At ease, brothers. He had it coming. His lone wolf tactics is not enough to best an old god. It never did work out, even before. Hades, you now have another great soul at your disposal._

 _It sure is, brother Zeus. Though, I dislike using idiots like him._

 _Let's not be picky, now shall we? Brother Zeus, how is the oriental girl faring?_

 _As usual, she's locked inside her chambers. She casted a spell that blocks anyone from entering her chambers. Even I can't break through her spell. Quite a hassle, eh Poseidon?_

 _Indeed. How's the grand scheme coming along?_

 _I got it under control. Don't worry. The underworld is at brother Zeus' disposal when the time comes._


	10. NOTE

Hello, everyone! UnseenMemory here. Christmas and 2016 is just around the corner, and so is my thesis defence. Just to inform you, I'm a graduating architecture student. There are times that I couldn't really work on my fanfics since I really need to focus on fixing my thesis. There might be times that I couldn't upload any new chapter for like weeks or months, so please bear with it.

Anyway, some news for my fanfics. Based on the recent reviews and number of views, I could say that Thanatos Uprising did pretty okay (well, below average but it's still okay with me) for my first crossover. For now, I'll be working on fixing grammatical errors and extending the chapters, since I actually took out some parts just to finish a volume (yep, 6 chapters per volume) within a month. Other than that, I've started doing Future Diary – Existence: Rewrite.

Rewrite is like a what if scenario where Toshiro, my OC in that fanfic, was already insane from the start. Rewrite will not follow the original plot like I did in Existence, but I'll be making an original plot for that one. It'll still follow the order of battles in the original plot (like Third, Ninth, Sixth, etc.) but most of the battles are vastly different from the original ones from the series. I'll be making Toshiro a more thrill-seeking combatant who actually enjoys fighting someone who's capable enough of killing him. When I tried breaking down Toshiro's character back in Existence, you could say that I wasn't really satisfied on how I developed his character. What I've planned from the start was that he's a former young assassin who's experiencing this new-found emotions which were kept away or neglected back when he was working for uncle. He's a teenage boy who went through hell, a teenager who slowly realizes what he's yearning for in his life, which is to be acknowledged and accepted by the people he cares for. Yes, he still somewhat wants a normal life, but since he's slowly trying to move on from his dark past so there are times that he's really focused on killing someone and enjoying the thrill of the hunt. He'll still love Yuno unconditionally since they're practically the same. I'm planning to drastically change the ending also, but it will still lead up to the After Story that I've made for Existence. I'll be uploading it in a week from now after I've done correcting some things. I really hope that you'll like it!

I'm also considering making a Rewrite version for my Lament of a Sinner, since it has a ton of grammatical errors, but I'll have to finish doing Existence, and Thanatos Uprising first. Also, I'm pretty sure you have noticed that I haven't updated my Akame ga Kill fanfic, the Dragon's Vengeance. You could say that my interest for that series kinda died down based on what's currently happening to the manga. Its plot, well, to be frank, I find it not interesting. Yeah, it got me hooked at first, but right now? Meh. I might resume it whenever I feel like doing it.

Okay. New fanfics.

First off, I've began doing my ToHeart 2 fanfic titled "Her Promise." Story revolves around Kujo, Shirou; a 16 year old delinquent who, at the age of 8, was caught in between his parents' divorce. The only person that he confined with, and cheered him up, left him without even saying a word. To cope up with the feeling of being unwanted and being neglected by his parents, he became a delinquent, to his friends' dismay. What will happen if his childhood friend comes back after her sudden disappearance 8 years ago? Can she able to fix the broken mess that Shirou is? So yeah, that's the summary. Basically, it's a romance fanfic about an OC of mine and Kousaka, Tamaki. I'm planning to go with a light-hearted take at first, but the story will get darker at some point. To be honest, I've came up with this fanfic after reading too much NTR doujinshis about Tamaki. Here's a tip, never traverse in NTR territory. It will mess you up. Anyway, since Takaaki, the main protagonist in the series, doesn't really have a backbone, I've came up with my OC who's practically inspired by Kujo, Jotaro from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Of course he wouldn't be as buff as Jotaro, but personality-wise, they're quite similar. Though a caring person at core, their outside attitude is rough and at times, cold. A tsundere x big sister pairing. Lol.

Second, a draft for a UBW fanfic titled "To Make Your Dream Come True". Story revolves around Hirigaya, Takahiro; an 18 year old university student by day, and "trash collector" at night. His family has a linage of capable battle mages who excels in physical battle. Before he could learn proper education in magic from his parents, he lost them during the events of the 4th Grail War. Now that he's a graduating student in a university in Fuyuki City, he got tangled up in the events of the 5th Grail War. How will his monochromatic life change as he stumbles onto this hooded woman on a particular rainy night? How will he react as he finds out that the son of Emiya, Kiritsugu is also participating in this war? This will be my very first Fate/Stay fanfic ever since my friend introduced me to that series 9 years ago. It'll be an adventure/tragedy with some romance aspect between my OC and Caster. My OC replaces Kizuki from the war, but Kizuki is still part of the story. My OC is probably inspired by Kazami, Yuuji. Well, in personality and his way of thinking.

So that's it for now. Actually, I've already done with my rough draft with my TokyoGhoul fanfic, but I'll leave that for now. Thank you once again for reading my fanfics! It really means a lot to me. Please, if you have an opinion, a comment, or a review, please don't hesitate and leave me a message! I'm still trying my best to improve, even though I really lack time right now. You could pinpoint the areas where I really need to improve. Once I've finished in my studies, I'll probably take a part-time work before chasing a full-time work in the field of architecture. Probably at that time, I could focus in fixing my grammar skills and the way how I make fanfics/novels. I'm also planning to try making a non-h doujinshi about Existence, but meh. If only I have the time. Anyway. If you're wondering how Toshiro in Thanatos Uprising would look like in full armour, you could check my IG account, which is unseenmemory (what a surprise lol). That's all!

Happy holidays everyone and keep safe!


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